Safeway Fast & Furious Festival Speeds into Downtown Pleasanton

Submitted by: Janet Fazio

Katalyst Events, LLC has partnered with the and the
to host the second annual Safeway Fast & Furious Festival Powered by Hill Physicians Medical Group on Sunday, August 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The event is an all-day wellness and lifestyle festival designed to bring the world of cycling and running together in one place while at the same time highlighting the charm of downtown Pleasanton.

Chris McCrary and Kevin Magna, co-founders of Katalyst Events, said the choice to return to Pleasanton was easy.

“Downtown Pleasanton offers competitors and spectators a wide variety of shopping and dining experiences before, during and after the event.”

Both professional and amateur cyclists, who are accustomed to racing in business parks with very few amenities and even fewer spectators, raved about last year’s festival.

With the total prize purse of this year’s event increasing to $14,500, the race promises to attract even more runners and cyclists than last, which helped prompt the Northern California Nevada Cycling Association (NCNCA) name Fast & Furious the home of this year’s NCNCA’s Elite Criterium Championship.

Festival Details McCrary and Magna have worked diligently to make sure the day is just as fun for spectators as it is for participants. New this year is the Safeway Kids’ Zone open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. featuring BMX demo shows, a Striders Race Track for kids ages 3 - 6, two jumpy houses, mobile video gaming stations, Pleasanton Fire Department trucks and more. At 1:30 p.m. the Clif Bar Band will hit the Safeway Music Stage followed by headliner Notorious at 3:00 p.m.

Throughout the day, spectators, competitors, families and friends will be able to enjoy the wellness and lifestyle expo, which will feature local and regional health care vendors, lifestyle companies and specialty product manufacturers. Local merchants and restaurants will also have special offerings for those in
attendance.

Festival and concert admission is free.

Race Details
Racing begins at 8:00 a.m. with a 5K Run/Walk sponsored by Subaru. A 1-mile open, dubbed the “Mile of Truth” and sponsored by Danville, CA based Innovations for Health, creator of the 28 Days to Health program, follows the 5K at 9:30 a.m.

Criterium-style bicycle races are scheduled to start at 10:50 a.m. The day concludes with the women’s and men’s championship races starting at 5:20 and 6:30 p.m.

Nationally acclaimed announcer Chad Andrews, who calls races on the USA Pro Cycling tour, will be calling the 5K and Mile of Truth as well
as the criteriums.

A free kids run starts at 10:50am and free kids bike races start at 2:50 p.m. Both kids races are sponsored by Hill Physicians Medical Group.

Registration
Race registration is available at www.fastandfuriouspleasanton.com.

Giving Back
A portion of proceeds from the event will be donated to ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) to research Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In 2010, McCrary’s friend, Pete Zucker, an avid cyclist and triathlete and member of the Wells Fargo Cycling team and Forward Motion Race Club, was diagnosed with ALS.

McCrary says “Pete’s fight has provided us with the inspiration and motivation to devote our efforts to a cause much bigger than the sport of running or cycling. We are committed to raising funds and awareness about ALS. We are essentially no closer to a cure than we were more than 70 years ago when Lou Gehrig fought the disease.”

About ALS TDI
ALS TDI is a nonprofit biotech located in Cambridge, MA, and is the world leader in preclinical drug development for ALS. The organization is moving two drugs into Phase II clinical trials later this year and is on track to evaluate 45 compounds in 2012, more than any other ALS lab has been able to accomplish.

In addition, ALS TDI recently announced two global research
partnerships: one with Regenesance BV in the Netherlands, and the other with Neurotune in Switzerland. These collaborations will investigate potential therapies for ALS. For more information on ALS TDI and its research, please visit www.als.net.

About Downtown Pleasanton
Charming, historic Downtown Pleasanton, California is an enjoyable place to shop, dine and meet friends in the heart of the city. The pedestrian-friendly, tree-lined streets offer a vibrant blend of parks and historic buildings, specialty shops and service businesses, fine dining and coffee shops.

For more information about Downtown Pleasanton, please contact the Pleasanton Downtown Association at 925- 484-2199 or visit www.pleasantondowntown.net.