Officials break ground on The Runway Bike Park at The Jones Center in Springdale Tuesday morning.
Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Northwest Arkansas will host an international cycling competition this fall.
The Red Bull Pump Track World Championship final will be held at The Jones Center’s new mountain bike park in Springdale on Oct. 13, officials announced today.
The announcement came during the groundbreaking ceremony for The Runway Bike Park, an aeronautic-themed park that will include the nation’s largest pump track.
The 2.75-acre mountain bike skills park will be constructed on the southeast corner of The Jones Center campus, and is made possible thanks to a $1.1 million grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation. It will include aeronautic-themed riding features such as a fabricated A-star helicopter and a 32-foot-long P-51 Mustang. Plans also include three skill development lines, a balance bike course, a kids bicycle playground, and a pavilion.
Qualifying rounds for the final began in March in Indonesia (see video above). Other events have since been held in the Philippines, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Chile, Thailand, Scotland and France. In all, 21 qualifying events will have taken place around the world ahead of the championship final.
“We are both excited and honored to partner with Velosolutions and Red Bull to bring this inaugural event to Northwest Arkansas where riders will have the opportunity to compete for the World Championship Final and experience some of North America’s finest trails,” said Mike Gilbert, Jones Trust Chief Operating Officer.
The park is projected to open to the public in September, about a month before the inaugural competition.
The Runway Bike Park – Design plans
Courtesy The Jones Center / Click to enlarge
