6th Annual Tour de Canal

Register for the 6th Annual Tour de Canal.

What Is The Tour De Canal?

If you've ever dreamed of cycling the entire C&O Canal, or even part of it, this is your chance! The Tour de Canal is a challenging, volunteer-supported fundraising bike event that benefits the Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. At 184 miles along the C&O Canal, it is the longest off-road charity ride in the country, starting in Cumberland, Maryland and ending in Georgetown, Washington, DC (other ride options available, see below). Please visit our photogallery from last year's Tour de Canal.

What Are My Ride Options?

Tour de Canal has numerous ride options to accommodate everyone's biking abilities:

  • 184-mile ride: 84 miles on Saturday/100 miles on Sunday
  • 100-mile ride: 50 miles on Saturday/50 miles on Sunday
  • 10-mile ride: 10 miles on Sunday

One-day ride options also available, please e-mail tourdecanal@together.net, or call toll-free at (866) 259-0042 for details.

Note: A detailed event schedule, including information about hotel accommodations and transportation, be will be provided upon registration.

Your Commitment

Each Tour De Canal participant commits to raising a tax-deductible contribution of at least $250 (plus hotel) for the 184- and 100-mile rides and $50 for the 10-mile ride. In exchange, the National Capital Area Chapter will continue to provide help and hope to the estimated 460,000 people impacted by Alzheimer's disease living in Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland and Washington, DC.

How Do I Prepare?

Never done a ride like this before and wondering where to begin? Training is key. The Tour de Canal is a fun ride, but it is physically demanding. For those who want to prepare for the ride, an ongoing free Training Program is available. Interested participants can undertake rides of increasing lengths, starting at 12-15 miles, and ending in late-August with rides of 60-80 miles --- more than enough to qualify for the event.

The Training Program starts on Saturday, April 20, and continues every Saturday through June 8. Training rides will be held on the C&O Canal at Carderock Park, located off the Clara Barton Parkway in Maryland, starting at 7:45 a.m. After June 8, riders can continue to train on the same dates as the Qualifying Rides listed below.

Completing a 50-mile Qualifying Ride is mandatory to participate in the 184- and 100-mile rides.

Qualifying Rides are free.

Dates and locations for each ride include:

  • (M) = C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal trail) at Carderock Park, located off the Clara Barton Parkway in Maryland
  • (V) = W&OD (Washington & Old Dominion trail) in Herndon

Qualifying Rides will take place on the following dates:

Sat. 6/8 (M), Sun. 6/23 (V), Sun. 7/14 (M), Sat. 7/27 (V), Sat. 8/10 (M), Sun. 8/25 (V), Sat. 8/31 (M), Sun. 9/1 (V)

All rides start at 7:45 a.m. Please bring water, helmet, spare or patch kit.

For more information about the Training Program or Qualifying Rides, please e-mail questions to tourdecanal@together.net or call toll-free at (866) 259-0042.

Team Effort

Starting a team is easy and provides an excellent opportunity for you, your co-workers, friends and families to motivate each other, train and help raise Tour de Canal pledges. Teams can pay, raise pledges and match gifts at the following levels of sponsorship:

  • $10,000 Gold Tour Sponsor
    10 riders can raise $1,000 each or 20 riders can raise $500 each.
  • $5,000 Challenge Tour Sponsor
    5 riders can raise $1,000 each or 10 riders can raise $500 each.
  • $2,500 Pedal-Power Sponsor
    4 riders can raise $635 each or 5 riders can raise $500 each.
  • $1,000 Bike Spoke Sponsor
    1 rider can raise $1,000 or 2 riders can raise $500 each.

The deadline for sponsorship for your logo or name to appear on event t-shirt is August 9, 2002.

Dates To Remember:

  • First Training Ride:
    Saturday, April 20, 2002
  • First Qualifying Ride:
    Saturday, June 8, 2002
  • Team name or logo on event t-shirt:
    Before August 9, 2002
  • Registration fee increases:
    After August 31, 2002, so register today!

Volunteer Opportunities

The Tour de Canal is not only for riders. We need lots of help, and that means volunteers! Volunteers help ensure a fun, safe and organized event for everyone involved and really make the event successful. You can help run check-in, host a rest stop, drive a support vehicle, cheer riders, serve meals and lots more! Please e-mail tourdecanal@together.net, or call John Daly, Volunteer Coordinator at (301) 656-2510 for details.

© 1997 - 2002 Alzheimer's Association, National Capital Area. All rights reserved.