More than 700 cyclists will roll out from Fifty West Brewing Company on Saturday, Aug. 29, for the fourth annual Tour de CROWN, a fundraising ride that this year carries extra significance for Mariemont and Anderson Township residents: construction is beginning on the trail segment that will connect their neighborhoods directly to the route.
The Columbia Connector, a 1.6-mile extension funded by Great Parks of Hamilton County, will carry the Little Miami Scenic Trail west from its current end point near Fifty West through Columbia Township and into Mariemont, linking up with Wasson Way. Great Parks CEO Todd Palmeter said the connector is part of a broader push that includes the planned Oasis Trail and Beechmont Bridge Connector.
"We support the Tour de CROWN because it is such an incredible spectacle that demonstrates the value of continued investment in our regional trail network," Palmeter said in Tri-State Trails' announcement of this year's event partners.
The connector is expected to be complete by 2028, according to the Cincinnati Business Courier. Once finished, it will close one of the last major gaps in the CROWN (Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network), a 34-mile loop connecting parks, schools and business districts across the region. The network is now more than 65% complete, with another six miles funded.
Three routes, one starting line
The ride offers routes of 8.5, 17.5 and 34 miles, all starting and finishing at Fifty West's Wooster Pike location, which sits directly on the Little Miami Scenic Trail. Registration is open at TourdeCROWN.org; ride-week pricing begins Monday, Aug. 24.
Columbia Township will close a lane of U.S. Route 50 on ride day to create a safer connection between the Murray Path and the finish line at Fifty West. The Christ Hospital Health Network will staff rest stops at Sawyer Point and Valley Park, and Reser Bicycle Outfitters, a partner since the event's 2023 debut, will provide roving mechanics on the route.
Tri-State Trails executive director Wade Johnston called the ride a community celebration of another year of progress, noting that every rider who participates becomes another advocate for completing the 34-mile loop.
After the ride
A Trail Expo follows at Fifty West, where participants can meet organizations working on Greater Cincinnati's trail connections. Fifty West owner Bobby Slattery said the brewery's trail-side location draws runners, walkers and cyclists daily, making the event a natural fit for the Wooster Pike taproom.
Great Parks is also widening and repaving the Lunken Airport Loop, one of the narrowest shared-use sections on the CROWN route, in time for the Aug. 29 ride.
What's ahead
- Saturday, Aug. 29: Tour de CROWN, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., Fifty West Brewing Company, Wooster Pike
- 2028 (projected): Columbia Connector completion, extending the Little Miami Scenic Trail toward Mariemont
