Quad-City Times Bix 7 in downtown Davenport -- July 29.
Saturday, July 29, 8 a.m.
Downtown Davenport
Returning to downtown Davenport for the 49th time, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 will again find runners and walkers taking on a seven-mile foot race alongside live bands and cheering crowds, the July 29 event famed for being the largest non-marathon race in the Midwest, having captured the imaginations of thousands upon thousands of enthusiasts from both the United States and countries around the globe.
With this year's race set to feature legendary competitors including Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Meb Keflezigh, the Bix 7 was founded in 1975 by Bettendorf resident John Hudetz. After competing in the 1974 Boston Marathon, Hudetz was inspired to bring the excitement to the Quad-Cities with a similar event of his own, and while the inaugural race had a field consisting of a mere 84 runners, modern-day races are often run by 12,000 to 18,000 runners. The United States’ boycott of the 1980 Olympics helped gain the Bix 7 exposure. Bill Rodgers, the world's top distance runner at the time, was unable to compete in Moscow, so he went to Davenport instead. The leadership of race director Ed Froehlich, promotion by the Quad-City Times, and generosity from several corporate sponsorships have helped the Bix 7 develop into the largest non-marathon race in the Midwest, one that consistently draws elite talent from all over the globe. Running legends Bill Rodgers and 1984 Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, among many others, compete annually.
In addition to the Bix 7, other options for participants include the Prairie Farms Quick Bix, a two-mile fun run or walk up the Brady Street hill with live bands playing alongside the course; the Buick GMC Dealers High School Competition, in which the first Iowa or Illinois male and female high school finishers to cross the Bix 7 finish line will win $1,000 for their school; and the Arconic Jr. Bix 7 for ages 12 and under who traverse courses of seven-tenths of a mile, a half-mile, and, for the littlest kids, 70 yards. All Bix 7 competitors who cross the finish line are invited to the Quad-City Times parking lot afterward, where representatives from Walmart and other race sponsors, will be waiting with food, beverages, and fun.
For more information on the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on July 29, visit Bix7.com.
