Spectator Guide

WEEKEND OVERVIEW

Electric City Classic Criterium: Saturday, August 27

The Electric City Classic kicks off Saturday morning with the Electric City Classic Criterium. The event is a race on a short-circuit course where cyclists will complete multiple laps through Downtown Scranton. Be sure to check out this exciting event featuring hundreds of cyclists racing at speeds up to 45-miles per hour–especially during the Women and Men’s Professional Races!

Electric City Classic Hill Climb: Sunday, August 28

Sunday’s Electric City Classic Hill Climb race is no less spectacular than the high energy ECC Criterium. The event takes place on Olive Street in a neighborhood aptly named “the Hill Section” due to the number of steep hills in the area. A well-preserved feature of the city’s historic past, climbing Olive Street will prove to be a true challenge for all who race to the finish–an exciting competition for spectators and racers alike!

RACE SCHEDULE

Electric City Criterium

Saturday, August 27

Course Start/Finish: 200 block of Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503

2022 Criterium Schedule

Event	Start Time	Dur.	PA State Champ	Prizes
Registration Opens	9:00am
Open Course	10:00am	10 min
Handcycle Race	10:20am	25 min	Handcycle	Prizes 1-3
Category 4/Novice (Men)	11:00am	35 min	Category 4	Prizes 1-3
Category 4/Novice (Women)	12:00pm	35 min	Category 4	Prizes 1-3
Category 3/4 Men	1:00pm	45 min	Category 3	Prizes 1-3
Category 3/4 Women	2:00pm	40min	Category 3	Prizes 1-3
Open Course	2:45pm	15 min
Kid's Race	3:10pm	15 min		Prizes (ALL)
Big Wheel Competition	3:25pm	30 min		Prizes (ALL)
Pro 1/2/3 Women	4:15pm	60 min	Category 1, 2	$10,000 1-18
Pro 1/2 Men	5:50pm	75 min	Category 1, 2	$10,000 1-18

Event podiums take place on course immediately following each event. During the Kid's Race and Big Wheel Event, the lower portion of the course will be open for inspection. Event times are subject to change.

Electric City Classic Hill Climb

Sunday, August 28

Course Start/Finish: Olive Street (between Prescott and Taylor Avenues) Scranton, PA 18510

2022 Hill Climb Schedule

Event	Start Time	Prizes
Registration Opens	8:30am
Open Course	9:00am
1-Mile Dash	10:00am	Prizes 1-3
Run Podium	10:30am	Men, Women, Juniors
Call to Staging for Cycling	10:45am
Fixed Gear Ride 1	10:55am	$600 1-3
Open Women Ride 1	To Follow	$1600 1-7
Open Men Ride 1 (heats)	To Follow	$1600 1-7
No Spandex Race	To Follow	Prizes 1-3
No Spandex Podium	To Follow
U5-in-Tow Race	To Follow	Prizes (ALL)
U5-in-Tow Podium	To Follow
Fixed Gear Ride 2	To Follow
Open Women Ride 2	To Follow
Open Men Ride 2 (heats)	To Follow
Wheelbarrow Race	To Follow	Prizes (ALL)
Wheelbarrow Race Podium	To Follow
Fixed Gear Ride 3	To Follow
Women Ride 3	To Follow
Men Minor Final (13-24)	To Follow
Men Major Final (1-12)	To Follow
Cycling Podiums	To Follow

Event podiums take place on course immediately following each event. Event times are subject to change based on participation.

SPECTATOR GUIDE

Have Fun & Stay Safe!

Whether you’re new to watching criterium racing, or new to Scranton, we’ve gathered a few tips on how to make the most of your spectator experience!

A few Do’s and Don’ts

Watching high-speed cycling is fun—a lot of fun—and it’s especially exciting to see your first race. To ensure that cyclists and spectators have a great time, and stay safe, please keep the following in mind:

Do…

Always cross the course at marked course crossings and follow the direction of the course crossing marshals.
Bring your cheering voices, and be prepared for exciting action!
Grab a cowbell and make some noise to support the riders. (Hold on tightly though! You don’t want to accidentally throw your cowbell into the course and cause an accident).
Bring the whole family out for a day of healthy fun.
Make a day of it! In between races, walk through downtown and enjoy our city’s beautiful architecture, unique shops, and variety of pubs and eateries.

Don’t…

Jump onto the course to help athletes who may have fallen or crashed. We will have trained emergency medical personnel on stand-by to assist any riders who may need medical attention. While it’s a nice sentiment to want to help, it’s best if you just give them the space they need to address the situation to ensure your safety and theirs.
Allow children to sit or stand on top of the crowd fencing with their feet dangling in the course.
Allow children to sit on low curbs with their feet dangling under the barriers.
Hang clothing over the barriers that could potentially get snagged or entangled in the handlebars of the riders’ bikes.
Hang your selfie stick over the barriers.
Jump onto the course to retrieve plastic cups or other debris that has blown onto the course. While well-meaning, this is extremely dangerous behavior because you could risk causing a rider to crash into you. Don’t worry— we’ll have trained professionals on site to handle these situations.
Fly a drone over the course area without written approval in advance from Race Directors.

Where are the best points along the course to view all the race action?

One of the benefits of creating a course in Downtown Scranton is the layout of the downtown offers multiple exciting vantage points for spectators, including:

Start/Finish Line, 200 Block of Wyoming Avenue: Station yourself along the 200 block of Wyoming Avenue, and you’ll see the pros sprint off the line at the start of the race and then sprint for victory at the end of the race! During the race, feel free to walk around the action-packed course three blocks long and cheer on your favorite riders.

Intersection of Penn Avenue and Biden Street: This intersection is going to be a hot spot among spectators because you’ll be able to see the action on two corners at one time!

What should we pack for race weekend?

The Electric City Classic will be held rain or shine, so check the forecast before you head out, and dress appropriately with comfy shoes, hats and sunglasses. Even if it’s overcast, you’ll want to pack essentials such as sunscreen and bug repellant. It may be wise to throw in a few rain ponchos and umbrellas, too.

Where should we park?

There are lots of parking options in Downtown Scranton. Click here for more information on parking garages close to the course.

CYCLING DICTIONARY

A few terms you’ll hear on race day.

Prime — (pronounced “preme”) – A prize within the race. When a bell is rung in the middle of the race with more than 1 lap to go, it means there is a prime and the commentator will announce what the prize is. On the lap after the bell is rung, the prime will be won by the first rider across the line.

Pack/Bunch/Main Field — All of these terms refer to the main group of riders currently on the course and in the race. Sometimes they will have a Breakaway in front of them or a Chase Group behind them. Other times, everyone will be in this main group of riders.

Breakaway — This term describes a rider or group of riders who have separated themselves from the Main Field in a meaningful way. Commentators will often tell you how many seconds or minutes a Breakaway is ahead of the Main Field to convey how great, or little, their advantage is in the race.

Chase Group — This term refers to a group of riders who have fallen off the back of the Main Field and are trying to return to the Main Field.

Attack — This term describes riders’ efforts to separate themselves from the Main Field or attempt to fatigue the competition.

Dropped — This term describes an athlete who has dropped off the back of a race group. Sometimes that means they have been dropped off the back of the Main Field, or off the back of the Chase Group.

Pulled — Riders are considered pulled if race officials ask them to leave the race course because they are no longer in contention.

Bike Pit — This is where riders go if they have a mechanical issue with their bike during the criterium. Mechanics in the pit do their best to quickly fix mechanical issues or provide the rider with a neutral support bike to get them back into the race. A Bike Pit Official will be on site to ensure all athletes adhere to the rules of using the mechanical services provided in the pit.

Turn 1, 2, 3…. — Commentators will refer to the turns of the course by number. Turn 1 is the first corner of the course. Turn 2 is the second corner of the course, and so on.