Short, at just over 1-km in length, the Sand City Crit course creatively features an astonishing 10 corners, which makes it incredibly dramatic and dynamic.
The sinuous loop in and around the art district carves past dozens of art murals and boisterous fans — a colorful pageantry — and rewards those riders who have mastered The Art of Cornering with a unique chance to show off their talents.
The festivities provide all an immersion in Sand City’s fun & vibrant art scene, with fans amassing at Post No Bills Craft Beer House to take in the finish line’s amusement, while craft beer inspired hecklers & revelers noisily line the edges of Hickory Hill. Amateur riders will get to race along the same loop as top pros!
A portion of the race fees benefits these charities
The criterium will attract over 500 racers and more spectators to the Monterey Peninsula and myriad different races for riders of all categories and ages.
The race is organized and run by the Coureur Monterey Bay Racing Team, sponsored by The Don Chapin Company with support from the City of Sand City, and raises funds for Montage’s Ohana Adolescent Health Services.
The Sand City Criterium is an exciting and technical route with 10 turns.
This limits the number of riders that can safely be in any race. We anticipate the Men's Pro race will exceed the 75 rider limit.
Thus, there are two Pro qualifying heats in which the top half of the finishers in each heat will move onto the final. The bottom half of the qualifying heats will race in the “Petite Final”.
Registration is open only for the first heat until it sells out. After registration closes we will evenly split the mens P/1/2/3 field and randomly place riders. Be prepared to race at either 12:45 or 1:20. Final seeding will be published after registration closes on July 22. Also, by randomizing the heats, it may result in teams not racing together until the final. Since the Men's Pro race consists of two races for all riders, the fee is $80.
Men's and Women's Pro purses are determined by the number of pre-registered riders (as of July 22) with $45 from each rider’s entry fee going to the purse, which is awarded to the top 10 riders. The Men's and Women's Pro purses collectively exceed $10,000 if there are 150 men and 75 women pre-registered.
For the Pro Men's races, the top 10 riders in the Final will share the prize purse; there is a $500 prize purse for the Petite Final top five riders. Men's and Women's Elite and Master's purses are $15 per pre-registered rider; awarded to the top 5 riders in each category. (50 pre-registered riders would share a total prize purse of $750.) Mixed categories racing together are scored separately and each have a separate prize purse based on the number of riders in each category. * Day-of registrations do not count for the number of riders in each race, so we encourage pre-registration to maximize the prize purse!
Be sure to confirm your start time once registration is closed.
Sand City Criterium is a participant in the NCNCA Premier Series. Double BAR/BAT points for qualifying races.
Online registration closes on Thursday, July 20 at 10:00pm. On July 6th, two weeks before registration closes, registration fees increase to $75 for Elite and Masters, and $35 for Juniors. Same day registration is $85 for Elite and Masters, and $45 for Juniors.
One day licenses are available.
Second race is $25 online or $35 at the race.
The kids race will be held on Ortiz from the last turn to the finish line. Please have your kids ready to take to the streets when the Men's Pro 1/2/3 heat concludes at 1:50pm. We will stage the kids in the parking lot adjacent to the Ortiz/California Street intersection at 1:40pm. Don't be late!
2023 Registration Fees
Register Before July 6
Pro Women, Elite, Masters: $55
Juniors: $25
Register After July 6
Pro Women, Elite, Masters: $75
Juniors: $35
Registration On-Site
Pro Women, Elite, Masters: $85
Juniors: $45
- One day licenses are available.
- Be sure to confirm your start time once registration is closed.
- Second race is $25 online or $35 at the race.
- Online registration closes on Thursday, July 20 at 10:00 PM.
Volunteer
Be a part of the 2023 Criterium. We can't run this great event alone. When they say it takes a village, they didn't just mean one of our Sponsors. If you can hold a flag, direct foot traffic, hand out race numbers, facilitate a kids race or just be a friendly personality we can use your help.
Sand City
Nestled in the sand dunes, Sand City is a blossoming warehouse district with a close-knit community of artists and creatives who have cultivated a flourishing public art gallery that has become the canvas upon which one of the most unique criteriums in the country is staged - Sand City Criterium.
The Sand City Criterium in just its second year of creative cycling celebration will be a marquee event on the national racing calendar. The confluence of its artistic arena, creative community, technical terrain and joyous July date – gilded with a substantive professional prize purse – is sure to attract a legion of amateur riders who will revel in racing around the same challenging corners that some of the best crit racers in the country will be lighting up. True racers will want to come paint the town and show off their flair for The Art of Cornering.
