Sold out benefit bike ride on Hartford Marathon course kicks off at 3:30 a.m.

Two hundred and 40 riders will begin a benefit ride on the Hartford Marathon course at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

HARTFORD – Hours before the 8 a.m. start of the 25th annual Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon, there will be cyclists on the marathon course.

WNPR radio producer Chion Wolf has founded and organized the Pedal to the Medal fundraising bicycle ride on the marathon course. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to BiCi Company in Hartford.

BiCi Company was created by the Center for Latino Progress to provide an opportunity for hands-on bicycle education and service learning products for 30 summer interns. The company is committed to meeting the need for bicycle-center programs in Hartford.

Two hundred and 40 riders will kick off the ride at 3:30 a.m., sharp in front of the state capitol. They have three hours to finish the ride and will be required to have headlights and tail lights on their bikes. The race is sold out.

The participants will travel as a group through downtown Hartford, along the river in East Hartford, then loop out to South Windsor before heading back to Hartford to collect the coveted inaugural race finisher medal.

On Saturday, the marathon (26.2 miles), half-marathon (13.1 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles) road race begin at 8 a.m. All three races finish by running under the Soldiers and Sailors Arch in Bushnell Park.