Crotona Midnight Run Set for Saturday

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

The flier for the 94th annual Crotona Midnight Run proclaims “Girlie Men Need Not Apply,” and for good reason. This dead-of-winter, dead-of-night event is for serious riders as well as for those foolhardy souls with a spirit of adventure.

The number of participants each year varies with the weather but, given the extended forecast for the coming weekend, it’s safe to predict that dozens of motorcyclists will be at the Nathan’s/Kohl’s parking lot on Central Ave. (Route100) in Yonkers at  midnight on Saturday ready to ride.

Dick Roberts of the Ramapo Motorcycle Club, which has stages the event, plans to have 100 route sheets to hand out to those who show up and pay the $20 entry fee. “There are some hard-core riders that show up every year and are extremely serious,” he said today, reporting that riders come from as far away as New Hampshire, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Dick Roberts

“For the most part, people are drawn to it because it’s the middle of winter, it starts at midnight and it’s frigging cold. It’s a challenge,” said Roberts. “We have people who show up with absolutely no preparation.” Others arrive with heated gear and other apparatus to make the rider easier.

Each rider must follow a specific route that covers roughly 120 miles. It’s a timed event with checkpoints along the way. “They have to maintain a 30-miles-an-hour average, which is not as easy as it sounds. When the traffic light turns red, the clock keeps going and you don’t,” said Roberts.

The mid-point is the Carmel Diner in Carmel, NY. The first rider usually arrives about 2 a.m. After a two-hour break to warm up, the event’s second leg begins at 4 a.m. Riders get back to the originating point at 6 a.m. Qualified finishers receive a medallion.

The Crotona Midnight Run dates back to 1917 and was founded by the Crotona Motorcycle Club. “We picked up the event maybe 12 years ago,” said Roberts, explaining that the Ramapo Motorcycle Club took over when the Crontona club’s “membership got very old and very sparse. They couldn’t support it anymore.”

The extended forecast for Carmel on Saturday night has temperatures dipping down into the 20s. Dress warmly, everyone.

(Pictures by Steve Smith.)