Cyclists Gear Up for 24th California Coast Classic Sponsored by Amgen, Raising Awareness and Funds for Arthritis on 8-Day Bike Tour From San Francisco to Los Angeles

September 19, 2024

National Destination Fundraiser Exceeds $1M, Aims for Record $1.5M as 200+ Participants Prepare to Ride Out on September 21, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO – September 19, 2024 /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – They come for the experience; they return for the cause. That’s a common thread among cyclists who ride in the Arthritis Foundation’s eight-day, 525-mile California Coast Classic Bike Tour through the Golden State’s most scenic coastal regions.

Known as “The Ride of a Lifetime” for its fully supported format and epic route from San Francisco to Los Angeles, this award-winning fundraiser, sponsored by Amgen since 2002, attracts beginning and experienced riders from across the U.S. and abroad. Two thirds of participants each year are returning riders, and some have ridden all 24 editions.

Many of the new riders who join the California Coast Classic for the first time are drawn by the chance to complete a fully supported, bucket list ride down the California coast. Some new riders, like Anna Droge, join through their connection to arthritis and the Arthritis Foundation.

Droge, who is 32, learned just days before her 31^st birthday that the pain in her feet and swelling in her hands was due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a disease that causes joint inflammation. She turned to the Arthritis Foundation website, a lifeline for newly diagnosed patients, learned about the California Coast Classic Bike Tour, and listened to every episode of its podcast, “What Are We Riding For?”.

“At the time, I couldn’t even walk a mile without pain, and I wasn’t a hardcore cyclist,” she says. “But signing up for a 525-mile ride with this community of people was the big goal I needed post-diagnosis. At first, I signed up for me,” she continues. “But now it’s about the mission to improve awareness about this disease, increase access to care, and help fund scientific research.”

Steven Taylor, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation, joins Ms. Droge and the other riders as they participate in this year’s California Coast Classic. “What draws me back to ride for my third year, is the camaraderie of this amazing community of cyclists,” he says. “Like the Foundation itself, they are fighting for all people with arthritis to live life without limits.”

Arthritis affects nearly 60 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children in the United States. It is the leading cause of disability and the second largest driver of employer health care costs. One in 5 people with RA have no treatment that works.

Setting the Stage for 2025 and Beyond

More than 4,600 cyclists have embarked on the California Coast Classic Bike Tour over the past 24 years, collectively raising more than $24 million. Organizers expect a sold-out Silver Anniversary year in 2025, and have launched a second event, the Carolina Hills Classic, to meet demand. The two events, housed under the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience brand, exemplify the Foundation’s belief in the effectiveness of bike tour fundraising, and the power of the sport of cycling to help people with arthritis.

“Movement is medicine,” says Shannon Marang Cox, National Senior Director of Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience. “From San Francisco to Los Angeles, and from Asheville to Greenville, we invite people to join our destination bike tours in 2025, take the Ride of a Lifetime, and make a difference to the one in four people who live with arthritis.”

“We’re ready to make this year’s Tour a memorable experience for our riders, and the momentum that’s building in advance of the Tour start on September 21 will help meet our $1.5 million fundraising,” Marang Cox added. “Because that’s the mission driving the experience.”

How You Can Support Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience

• Make a tax-deductible donation to the 2024 California Coast Classic Bike Tour at www.californiacoastclassic.org
• Sign up to participate virtually and join the California Coast Classic from your home or gym through the Foundation’s Ride Your Way program.
• Register for the inaugural Carolina Hills Classic Bike Tour, scheduled for June 12-15, 2025: www.carolinahillsclassic.org
• Register for the Silver Anniversary California Coast Classic, September 6 – 13, 2025: https://events.arthritis.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=1740, look for “2025” link at top of page

# # #

About the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation is fighting for all people who live with arthritis. As a Champion of Yes, the Arthritis Foundation’s mission is to turn the obstacles arthritis causes into opportunities. The Arthritis Foundation champions life-changing solutions and medical advancements, and provides ways for people to connect, break down barriers in health care and join the fight for a cure — uniting hearts, minds, and resources to change the future of arthritis. To join the fight to cure arthritis, visit  arthritis.org.

About Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience

Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience is riding for a world where people with arthritis live a life without limits. It produces two premier destination fundraising bike tours: the California Coast Classic (CCC) and the Carolina Hills Classic (CHC). CCC, the flagship tour, began in 2001 and is the winner of Gran Fondo Guide’s Best Charity Bike Tour Award. It is an 8-day, 525-mile, fully supported ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. CHC will take place for the first time in 2025 and is a 4-day, fully appointed ride in and between Asheville, North Carolina, and Greenville, South Carolina. For more information, to register, and donate, please visit the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience website.

Media Contact:

Julie Kelly, SPEC PR, 760.672.2527 (cell), julie.kelly@specpr.com