WAKE ‘N BIKE

 For children and teenagers in the Athens area, Micah Morlock is the uncle, father or brother they never had encouraging the discovery and joys of cycling. 

 Morlock is the first to tell anyone that he lives the example of enjoying a lifetime sport.

 “I was born in cycling,” Morlock said. “My dad was a cyclist. We opened a bike shop together when I was 11. I grew up racing and it has been so big in my life. It is my life.”

 Morlock had his first ride when he was only one, strapped into a backpack while his father cycled. It’s been his passion ever since. 

 Morlock worked at Dixon’s Bike Shop, which eventually became Georgia Cyclesport on Baxter Street. He is a partner in the company and manages the store. Morlock also started the Locos Cycling Team, a well-known group of cyclists in the Athens area since 2001. He has since become director of the team and just started a high school division of the team to encourage teenagers to ride and provide bikes to those who haven’t had opportunities to cycle.

 But the all-consuming job Morlock has tirelessly given his time to recently is event director of the Terrapin Wake ‘N Bike Ride for the Twilight festival. Known as the Gambler race for 30 years, Morlock has made a few adjustments to polish up the popular ride.

 While participants still have a choice between a 50k or 100k ride through the northeast Georgia foothills, the new course finishes at Terrapin Brewery. Ample parking by the brewery allows for the large numbers expected for this year’s ride. 

 Last year, a record 600 people registered for the poker-oriented ride, where cyclists are given a playing card at the start of the race and collect cards at stopping points throughout the ride. The best hand wins the prize. 

 Morlock expects 600 people again and he’s ready for them. Last year’s number, doubling the usual turnout, was a surprise for all of the volunteers. Morlock has coordinated refreshments to be trucked to all of the stops and organized the course with the firemen, sheriffs and EMS workers for each county the course crosses through.

 To say Morlock has a lot on his plate is putting it mildly. 

 “Once you’re in the eye of the storm,” Morlock said, “you can’t really go anywhere. You just have to deal with it.”

 He is also coordinating the CompuTrainer Finals, which culminates after Grid Qualifiers all day Friday. Ten heats will be stretched out over eight hours, ending in a finals heat at 9 p.m. The top eight times will race in the 3K Computrainers Time Trial to see who places front row starting positions for the Pro race Saturday night, Twilight’s main event. 

 “CompuTrainers isn’t just cyclists racing by,” Morlock said. “They wear no helmets and no sunglasses. You can see their faces and the struggles they’re going through and have that personal interaction.” 

HANDCYCLING

Athens Twilight is known for hosting America’s oldest handcycling race, drawing the most participants from all across the country. Gene Dixon had the foresight to include the event long before it became a popular sport.  

Paralympians and U.S. National Team members are regulars at the series of 8 races, which begin at 6:30 p.m., but all handcyclists are welcome.  The race is another unique way to celebrate cycling in a way only Twilight provides. 

BMX

The second annual BMX jam is a competition between national and local talents on flatland and street ramps.

“It’s not every day we have this kind of talent congregate in Athens,” Jon Dowker, BMX contest organizer, said. “We have top pros coming. Athens has always had one of the strongest flatland scenes in the country.”

Dowker and his team are constructing ramps Saturday morning to showcase the BMX stunts, where a large number of pros and amateurs will be showing off their skills for the entertainment of the crowd, and a small amount of prize money. A favorite for spectators, the competition promises to be steep this year. 

TW5K

 On Saturday morning, after all of the people participating in the Twilight 5K Run have crossed the finish line and collected their qualifying times, the men and women of the University’s ROTC program will end the race in formation for the memory of a fallen comrade.

 This year’s 5K is fueled by a different cause than previous Twilight races. While prize money may entice some, many will run to benefit the Joshua Reeves Foundation. 

 Army Cpl. Joshua Reeves , 26, was serving in Iraq when he received the greatest news he could hope for – he was the father of a beautiful, new-born baby boy, Joshua Jackson Reeves. His wife, Leslie, couldn’t wait to tell him. 

 He never made it home to hold his son for the first time. The following day, Reeves was killed by an improvised explosive device. 

 The Watkinsville native’s story caused a ripple effect through the Athens area. Reeves’ parents, and the community, wanted to make sure that Josh was provided with all of the opportunities his father could no longer ensure. 

 The Reeves family began the Joshua Reeves foundation and a 5K to raise money for baby Josh’s future education. This year, the 5K happened to occur the same weekend as Twilight. Open to new ideas as usual, Gene Dixon, founder of Twilight, welcomed the idea of uniting the 5K run with the Joshua Reeves Foundation.

 The branches of the University ROTC program did as well. 

 The U.S. Navy Supply Corps School, an Athens institution since 1954 that will soon be moving to Newport, RI, due to Base Realignment, has provided Twilight with much-needed volunteers for the 30 years of the festival’s existence. The ROTC program saw fit to fill the void.

 Combined, the army and air force have 50 volunteers, with the navy and marine branches contributing another 25 volunteers to work various events during Twilight. 

 But they will all run together in remembrance of Joshua Reeves. 

 “This is just a great way to remember Josh,” Scott Smathers, military science instructor, said. “It’s a way for all of the participants to get to know Josh better. This does so much for the community.”

 The 5K has undergone many changes since it first started as a Twilight institution. Adding the Joshua Reeves foundation is just one step in a multilayered process, and much of the planning is Rachel Cooke’s job.

 When Cooke, former University track runner, started working alongside Dixon to coordinate the 5K race, Dixon had a vision for Cooke’s involvement. 

 “He wanted me to breathe a little life into the 5K,” Cooke said. “It’s been getting better every year.”

 Since then, participation in the all-ages 5K Run has quadrupled. People from age 4 to 64 line up between Washington Street and College Avenue early Saturday morning to participate in the qualifying event. 

 Anyone can participate as long as they register in time. The course is designed for people that wish to walk or run, flat for the first 2K and flat at the finish, with a few rolling hills in between. 

 The run is timed for those wishing to qualify for the $1000 mile later in the evening, a 1-mile race on the Twilight Criterium course featuring the morning’s best 15 men and 15 women for a $1000 prize at the end. The runners will have a unique opportunity to race in front of 40,000 people, hardly the attention they would receive on any other course. 

 For those wishing to bike and run, there’s also the Athens Twiathlon. Racers can take part in the 5K run and then finish Saturday with the Terrapin Wake ‘N’ Bike ride, a 50 or 100K ride through the northeast Georgia foothills.

 Riders start with a playing card and collect them along the way to the finish. The best hand, not just the best time, gets the prize. The last “liquid” leg of the triathlete-geared event is a tour of Terrapin Brewery.

 Everyone from Olympic qualifiers to first timers will take part in the 5K this year. Later, the best of the best will be introduced by a kids parade lap, for those who participated in the children’s bike race earlier, down the Twilight crit track. 

 “This is just the perfect venue,” Cooke said. “Where else can you be cheered on by 40,000 screaming people just for running a 5K?”   

Twilight Kids

 Shannon Howell Baker has been coordinating events for children during the Twilight festival for as long as she can remember. And she couldn’t be happier about it.

 “Not many people have what we do in Athens,” Baker, publisher of Athens-Oconee Parent Magazine, said. “There’s nothing like seeing people being together as a family downtown on a Saturday and it makes me wish for more days like that.”

 The Athens Parent Magazine Kids Zone is a big draw for families every year and the event has remained much the same over the years. Upbeat music spills into the streets as children enjoy rides, moon walks, fitness displays and having their faces painted. 

 Encouraging kids to be fit has always been a goal for Gene Dixon, the founder of Twilight.

 “Cycling is a lifetime sport and we want to inspire kids, to let them know that they can chose other sports if they don’t want to be in a team sport,” Dixon said. “I look at it like we’re a fit kids program. I discovered cycling at a young age and I raced in high school. It fit my life. And I think if kids know about it, it can fit theirs, too.”

 Hosting the St. Mary’s Twilight Kids Criterium and Big Wheel races accomplishes that goal every year, but Dixon and his army of volunteers don’t stop there. 

 During the week of Twilight, Dixon invites PRO riders like Frank Travieso to tour area schools and share their experiences with kids. The PRO rider tour visited six schools this year to discuss helmet and bike safety, give equipment demonstrations and encourage kids to be active while relating their professional experiences as cyclists. 

 Kids and adults of all ages and athletic levels are always encouraged to participate in Twilight. So, in addition to a children’s bike race on Saturday morning, with heats for 5-9 year olds and 10-14 year olds, Dixon wanted to make sure that children of even younger ages had the chance to experience the excitement. But, of course, no one can ride without a helmet.

 The Big Wheel race allows kids 5 and under to ride on tricycles or big wheel bikes. While it’s not for the sake of competition, the race is a fun spectator event.

 “No matter what goes on during Twilight, we try to keep it in the sport of athleticism,” Baker said. “These are fun events that promote kids being healthy. We don’t want riding a bike to become a lost art form for kids.”

VOLUNTEERS

 Without the help of hundreds of volunteers, making the Twilight festival possible would be a logistical nightmare. Instead, the coordination runs like a well-oiled machine. 

 The operation of pulling all of the events of Twilight together relies on a network of support, which helps to make the festival a true community event. 

 The University will be well-represented at this year’s events through the participation of volunteers from UGA HEROs and all military branches of the UGA ROTC program. Also expected are performances by students from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music during the jazz festival and a collection of racers from UGA Cycling, UGA Triathlon Club and University Track and Field in the 5K and cycling criteriums.

 However, just like Twilight is not a campus-centered event, participation is not solely coming from college students. Teaming up to volunteer and organize events are people from Athens-Oconee Parent Magazine, Chick-Fil-A, Georgia Cyclesport, Terrapin Brewery and HandsOn Northeast Georgia, a program of Community Connection of Northeast Georgia.    

 HandsOn Northeast Georgia plays perhaps the largest role in bringing over 400 volunteers together over the two-day festival. Art Ordoqui, head volunteer coordinator, specializes in managing volunteers for large events. 

 The organization routinely gives back to the Athens community and uses Twilight as a way to connect with others and encourage volunteering opportunities. 

 “Twilight is such an iconic event for Athens,” Ordoqui said. “People like to be a part of it. This week is National Volunteer Week and it’s when we take time to recognize all that volunteers make possible in our cities. Without volunteers, Twilight wouldn’t happen. This weekend is a great way to celebrate volunteers and bring everyone together.” 

 Ordoqui and HandsOn Northeast Georgia were happy to see University organizations like the ROTC program and UGA HEROs step up to aid in volunteer work. With the loss of the U.S. Navy Supply Corps School volunteers, Ordoqui needed extra hands making sure that everyone is safe. 

 An estimated 75 volunteers from the ROTC will work Twilight this year, especially some lending their skills as marshals during the races to ensure that no one steps onto the track. 

 “ROTC is really giving us a lot of support and leadership that we need during Twilight,” Ordoqui said. “They can make sure everyone is where they need to be.” 

 UGA HEROs is also stepping up its participation at this year’s Twilight by hosting a kids Sports Zone. Although a well-known campus organization, UGA HEROs wanted to spread awareness of what they accomplish to the entire community. Largely, the organization’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for children affected by HIV/AIDS.” 

 Over 90 volunteers will represent UGA HEROs at the festival, helping kids as they climb a rock wall or play fast-pitch baseball in the kids Sports Zone. An overarching theme at Twilight, promoting fitness for children is an important cause for UGA HEROs as well. To play in the area, parents can pay on a donation-basis for their kids to support the work of the organization. 

 “We want to show the community that UGA HEROS has a good time,” Curt Stark, University junior and director of events for UGA HEROS, said. “It’s an opportunity to get the entire community together and have fun and we want to make this as big as possible. We never take what we get to do for granted, so we want to do the most that we can for Twilight.” 

To Volunteer:

See Art Ordoqui and HandsOn Northeast Georgia at their volunteer check-in desk at the lowest level of the College Avenue parking deck.

Schedule

Friday

Noon – 9:30 p.m.

Twilight Jazz Festival

Saturday

8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Jittery Joe’s Twilight AM

Begins at Jittery Joe’s Roaster and follows the Oconee River Greenway.

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

5K Run/Walk

Starting point and finish line on Washington Street in downtown.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The Gambler

Starting point at Washington Street and College Avenue, finish line at Terrapin Brewery.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Twilight Kids Zone presented by Athens Parent Magazine

Located on the 300 block of College Avenue.

10 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.

Twilight Jazz Festival 

11:30 a.m.

Kids Criterium and Big Wheel Race

Starting point on College Avenue in front of City Hall.

5:45 p.m.

USCF Amateur Finals

Start and finish at College and Clayton.

6:30 p.m.

Handcycle criterium TBD

Start and finish at College Avenue and Clayton Street.

7:15 p.m.

AKO Signs Parade of Vehicles

Start and finish at College Avenue and Clayton Street.

7:45 p.m.

Women’s Pro 1/2 Criterium

Start and finish at College Avenue and Clayton Street.

8:45 – 10:45 p.m.

Men’s Pro/1 Criterium

Start and finish at College Avenue and Clayton Street.

All Photos by: Daniel Shirey