STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Before 300 competitive cyclists took to the trails of Glen Park in Monroe County, they filled a field to the brim for the 2024 Maxxis Eastern States Cup Enduro Race.
The race has been hosted in Stroudsburg for more than 10 years.
But organizers of the bike race say this might be the last time the race is hosted there.
Just last week, the borough put up a fence on the once open field to repurpose Glen Park as a dog park.
"All these tents here normally are set up in the field, and then all of the racers, their families, they come. We have a couple tents popped up around. They come pop up their tents; there's room for their kids to play dogs to run, and it's just been an open space for everybody to enjoy. Racing or otherwise," said Jessica Marelli, Pocono Bike Club.
With insufficient space, parking for racers has spilled out into the neighboring community, raising concerns about possibly burdening those residents.
Newswatch 16 spoke with neighbors who preferred not to be on camera. Some alleviated these worries for race organizers, saying they didn't mind sharing the neighborhood with racers on the day of the event.
"We've set up in the parking lot; we've made the best of it. We don't own the field. We know this. We just want to bring this to the community," said Marelli.
Board members from the Pocono Bike Club say they have always had the correct permits to hold the event at Glen Park and tried to do all they could at borough council meetings to keep the field open.
Long-time racers and Stroudsburg natives say the open field served everybody in the community, not just the annual bike championship event.
"You know not all the kid in the neighborhood have a big backyard of their own. When we were kids were always down here playing soccer or throwing the football around. You know, you still see a lot of families come down and use the park for that on a regular basis. And if you look at what percentage of the field has been fenced in for dog park use, it's centrally located, so there's not really a lot of space around that to use, so it's hard to imagine that there's enough space left for the community to use for other purposes," said Lucas Heller, race participant and Stroudsburg native.
Organizers from the Pocono Bike Club say cyclists come from all over the country not only for the race but to enjoy some time at local businesses as well.
"These trail systems people flock from all over the country, and we've even had them come from outside the country to visit these trails, and it's just a beautiful place to ride your bike, and hike and walk your dog, but now you know that's going to be a little more of a struggle for us to hold these races," said Matt Arnold, Pocono Bike Club.
Racers and organizers just hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel for the future of the Maxxis Eastern States Cup Enduro Race at Glen Park.