For the second consecutive time, a Fat Tires Race was held on the floor of the Central Market Hall. Fat Tires Races are races for children (2 to 12 years old) on their own city bike, mountain bike, or cross bike (bike with fat tires) and not a racing bike. In addition to the races, the program was complemented with a balance bike race, scooter races, and a fun race where larger children and parents could also participate.

All participants had pre-registered. Each participant received a bib number, a Fat Tires Race T-shirt at the start, and a medal afterward. Helmets are mandatory, and if forgotten or not available, they can be borrowed from the organization to prevent disappointments. They also provided children without a bike with a bicycle, balance bike, or another scooter or fat-tire mode of transportation.

This year had a Christmas theme, and it was fun if you came on a decorated bike. There were many beautifully decorated and lit bikes, and not just 3 but 4 went home with a prize.

The course was marked with fences, barrier tape, advertising banners, and beach flags. At the start and finish, there was a jury booth with a speaker providing amplified commentary on the Fat Tires Races.

OBJECTIVES

– Encourage participants to engage in sports, exercise, and have fun through cycling
– Promote the bicycle as a healthy, sustainable, and fun mode of transportation
– Provide a low-threshold introduction to cycling as a sport
– Raise awareness of bicycle safety through various informative and active means
– Foster social cohesion: “Cycling Unites”

More than 160 children participated in the Fat Tires Race. The parents/guardians who took part in the Family Fun Race on the 12-inch bikes and/or assisted during the phenomenal Cauliflower Bike Couriers Race had just as much fun as the children themselves.

Photos by Chris van Houts