First Great Bottlecap Bike Race is a success

Riders prepare to take off for the Great Bottlecap Bike Race on Saturday, June 6, in Carlyle.
Two bikers compete in a cookie-decorating contest.    Friends of Carlyle Lake president Kim Hammel said the inaugural Great Bottlecap Bike Race was a success and they hope to keep the event going in the future.
    There were 45 individuals who participated in the race against time on Saturday, June 6 in Carlyle. All 45 of those individuals finished the 11 challenges in under the three hour time limit.
    "This first-time event was a huge success," Hammel said. "The weather was wonderful and everyone had a great time riding their bikes and performing challenges. We are grateful to everyone who contributed their time, resources, and enthusiasm to make this year's event a memorable experience for participants."
Karen Schubert shows the cookie she decorated at Oh So Sweet Bakery and Cafe during the Great Bottlecap Bike Race on Saturday, June 6, in Carlyle.    The riders took off from the Carlyle Lake Visitors Center and went to 11 different sites where they had to perform challenges.
    In the Carlyle Lake area destinations, the riders had to travel to West Access Marina and tie a nautical knot; then go to Carlyle Dam spillway overlook for a water safety activity; then to Governors Run Golf Course for a putting competition; and then to Tractor Supply for a cornhole game.
    In the downtown Carlyle destinations, the riders had to go to Flamingo Tavern and lasso a keg; then on to Carlyle IGA for a fruit-throwing competition; then to Oh So Sweet Bakery and Cafe to decorate a cookie; then to Constitution Bank to roll pennies; to Clinton County Historical Society to answer a historical question; to Case-Halstead Public Library to look up a book; and then to Riverside Outdoors for axe throwing.
    The riders returned to the Excel Bottling tent at the Visitors Center to end the competition.
    The competition was not a race against other riders; it was a race to complete all of the tasks in under three hours.
    Since all of the individuals completed the challenges in under three hours, they all received a six pack of assorted Excel Bottling soda.Participants in the Great Bottlecap Bike Race roll pennies at Constitution Bank in Carlyle.
   They also had a chance to win more prizes.
    All of the funding from the event goes to the environmental programs and projects at Carlyle Lake.
    The race was put on by the Friends of Carlyle Lake, a group that works in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Carlyle Lake Project to foster environmental stewardship and enhance overall visitor experience through educational, interpretive services.
    Sponsors for the event were Excel Bottling Company in Breese, The Cyclery and Fitness Center in Edwardsville, Constitution Bank in Carlyle, Oh So Sweet Bakery and Cafe in Carlyle, Kingdom Financial, River Entertainment in Carlyle, The Sign Shop in Hoffman and Carlyle Animal Hospital.