The fourth annual Tour de CROWN raised $80,000 for regional trail construction after more than 850 riders pedaled through Greater Cincinnati on Aug. 29.

The Village of Mariemont was among five Wanderer Sponsors for the ride, joining Interact for Health, PRUS Construction, the Village of Fairfax and Greater Cincinnati Water Works. The sponsorship ties Mariemont to the Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network (CROWN), a planned 34-mile urban trail loop now more than 65% complete.

Tri-State Trails, the nonprofit behind the CROWN, organized the fundraiser. Executive Director Wade Johnston framed the event's purpose in an Aug. 17 partner announcement: "The CROWN is now more than 65% complete, and another six miles are funded to be built."

The 2026 ride was the event's biggest. The inaugural Tour de CROWN in 2023 drew 325 riders. By 2025, that number topped 700. This year's 850-plus turnout and $80,000 total came as Tri-State Trails reported new trail milestones along the route.

Riders got a first look at a new 0.2-mile section of Wasson Way through Xavier University's campus before its official ribbon-cutting. Great Parks, the ride's presenting sponsor, had widened and repaved the Lunken Airport Loop ahead of the event. Cincinnati Police officers helped hundreds of riders navigate a major construction zone.

Three route options started and finished at Fifty West Brewing Company in Columbia Township: a 34-mile Full CROWN, a 17.5-mile Half CROWN and an 8.5-mile Beechmont Connector Ride.

The CROWN network's eastern edge runs through Anderson Township, Mariemont and Terrace Park. A 2015 extension of the Little Miami Scenic Trail from the Little Miami Golf Center to Beechmont Avenue brought the trail into Anderson Township. The Beechmont Bridge Connector linked that trail to the Lunken Airport Loop in 2022.

Now, the final phase of the Columbia Connector Trail is under construction. WCPO reported Sept. 1 that the $3.1 million project will connect trails between Columbia Township and Mariemont with the Little Miami Scenic Trail. Great Parks expects completion by spring 2028.

Mary Tensing, a Mariemont-area resident whom WCPO identified as living next to the construction site, told the station she sees the project as a worthwhile community investment.

Since 2019, more than $43.2 million in public funding has been invested in CROWN projects across the region. The Columbia Connector alone drew nearly $1.7 million in federal funding, $338,600 from the Clean Ohio Trails Fund and $300,000 in private CROWN funds.

The Columbia Connector's spring 2028 completion is the next confirmed milestone for the CROWN network near Mariemont. Tri-State Trails has not announced a date for the 2027 Tour de CROWN.