Cyclists will pedal for a good cause in Pittsburgh during Rush to Crush Cancer weekend

It's a big weekend in Pittsburgh for cyclists as P3R and PNC will be hosting the Rush to Crush Cancer.

More than 800 riders have signed up for the ride that benefits the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center on Sunday morning, and as you might expect, it means some road closures and brief traffic disruptions. 

The Rush to Crush Cancer route

From Hazelwood to the South Side, to West Deer, there are four rides, some with fixed closures, and others will be rolling closures as the cyclists make their way through. 

It starts on Saturday with an opening ceremony and a walk and lasts through the four rides on Sunday. 

Come Sunday morning, the cyclists will pedal off on the eight-mile course starting at 9 a.m. from Hazelwood Green, following the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, to the Smithfield Street Bridge, and along the South Side Trail to the South Side waterworks. 

Then, the 15-mile course involves those same areas, and it also begins at 9 a.m., but it adds in Grant Street and the Strip District. Also included are River Avenue on the North Side, Allegheny Center, and parts of downtown. 

The 30-mile course begins at 8 a.m. on Sunday in Hampton, and cuts through Fox Chapel, Aspinwall, Sharpsburg, Etna, and Millvale before crossing through Lawrenceville, and then joins the other routes on River Avenue to downtown and the South Side. 

The big one is the 60-mile course, which also begins in Hampton, but starts at 6 a.m. It will use the 30-mile route, after heading north through Richland Township, West Deer, and Indiana Township. 

The longer routes will have rolling closures where needed, while in town, some streets will be closed off. 

Those road closures will start an hour before the shorter races, so that means they'll begin at 8 a.m. and everything will be reopened by 11 a.m. 

Cycling for a cause in Pittsburgh

Executive Director Ann Regan told KDKA-TV that this is the fourth year the event has made an impact. 

"We've raised $1.6 million for cancer research that goes right back to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, so all the money stays local," she said. 

For those who participate, it's all about love and supporting those who need it the most. 

"They're supporting their loved ones, a coworker, a family member, or they're a patient, a cancer survivor, or they're in it every day; our physicians, our clinicians, our doctors, our care staff," Regan said. 

Participants pay an entry fee and then get sponsors to help with the fundraising minimums. For example, a rider over 19, doing the 15-mile ride, will pay a $55 entry fee and needs to raise at least $150. 

For more information, head to the Rush to Crush Cancer's website here.