Hundreds of cyclists rode out of Central Park on Saturday, October 3, for the second Best Buddies Challenge: New York. Tour de France champions Chris Froome and Alberto Contador led the 100-mile ride to the Hudson Valley. Organizers expect the event to raise $4 million for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Key Takeaways
- The Best Buddies Challenge: New York is expected to raise $4 million for programs serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
- Riders chose 100-mile, 72-mile, or 33-mile routes, all ending at Glenmere Mansion in Chester, New York.
- Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome and two-time winner Alberto Contador led the 100-mile field out of Manhattan.
- About 750 participants were expected across the ride, run, and walk portions of the weekend.
- Best Buddies International founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver helped start the ride after a Friday welcome reception at the Rainbow Room.
- 2026 marked only the second year the Best Buddies Challenge has been held in New York.
A Century Ride That Starts in Midtown and Ends in the Hudson Valley
The Best Buddies Challenge: New York uses a route that few charity rides in the city attempt. Instead of looping Central Park or crossing a single bridge, the 100-mile course leaves Manhattan and climbs north toward the Ramapo Mountains. It finishes at Glenmere Mansion in Orange County. Riders on the 100-mile route picked up rental bikes near 59th Street and Seventh Avenue, while the 72-mile and 33-mile groups started farther along the course.
Best Buddies International supported every distance, with rest stops about every 25 miles and support vehicles on the road. All three groups converged at the Glenmere finish line for a luncheon and a private concert. That structure lets a first-time rider on the 33-mile route share the same finish as someone completing a full century behind two Grand Tour champions.
The route also follows a broader pattern in how New York athletes train and compete. Hudson Valley roads and farmland have become a regular weekend destination for city riders and runners, and Orange County already draws New Yorkers north for events such as the Spartan Race courses at a farm in New Hampton. The Best Buddies Challenge places a fundraising mission on that same road between the city and the valley.
Froome and Contador Brought Grand Tour Credentials to Manhattan
Best Buddies International announced on September 23 that Chris Froome and Alberto Contador would lead this year’s ride. Between them, the two cyclists hold six Tour de France titles. Their presence gave the second edition a level of attention most charity century rides do not get.
For participants, riding with the two champions is part of the draw. For Best Buddies International, it helps a young event stand out on a crowded New York fall calendar that already includes the TCS New York City Marathon, several half marathons, and many smaller charity runs.
Anthony Kennedy Shriver Kicked Off a Weekend Built Around Inclusion
The weekend opened Friday, October 2, with a welcome reception at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. On Saturday morning, Best Buddies International founder Anthony Kennedy Shriver helped send the riders off. Shriver founded the organization in 1989, and it has since grown into a global nonprofit.
Best Buddies International focuses on five areas for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, inclusive living, and family support. The $4 million fundraising target is aimed at those programs.
The ride itself reflects that mission. Best Buddies International describes the challenge as open to cyclists of all abilities, and riders alongside the professionals included supporters, families, and program participants. The idea is that everyone shares the same course and the same finish line.
New York Is Becoming a Larger Stage for Charity Endurance Events
The Best Buddies Challenge series already holds rides in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and Miami. Adding New York gives Best Buddies International access to the region’s corporate donors, cycling clubs, and a large base of endurance athletes. Year two suggests the organization plans to keep the New York event, not treat it as a one-off.
Sponsorship supports the model. Jersey Mike’s Subs and Wells Fargo served as presenting sponsors this year, and local partners hosted training rides through the spring and summer. One of those training rides, run with a Midtown cycling studio, went north to Nyack and back along Route 9W, letting riders preview early sections of the challenge route.
Best Buddies International’s New York calendar continues after the ride. The organization will have supporters running in the TCS New York City Marathon on November 1 and will hold its Evening of Opportunity event in New York on November 5.
What the Second Edition Signals for 2027
A $4 million target in only the second year puts the Best Buddies Challenge: New York among the city’s larger single-weekend charity sporting events. Whether the event grows will likely depend on continued rider interest and sponsor support. The basic format is already set: a Central Park start, a Hudson Valley finish, and a course designed for professionals and first-timers alike.
FAQs
What Is the Best Buddies Challenge: New York?
The Best Buddies Challenge: New York is an annual charity ride, run, and walk benefiting Best Buddies International. The 2026 edition took place on October 3, starting in New York City and finishing at Glenmere Mansion in the Hudson Valley.
How Much Money Does the Best Buddies Challenge: New York Raise?
Organizers expected the 2026 event to raise $4 million. The money supports programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Which Professional Cyclists Rode in the 2026 Best Buddies Challenge: New York?
Tour de France champions Chris Froome and Alberto Contador led the 100-mile ride. Froome has won the Tour de France four times and Contador twice.
What Distances Are Offered in the Best Buddies Challenge: New York?
Cyclists could ride 100, 72, or 33 miles. Every route ended at Glenmere Mansion in Chester, New York, with rest stops about every 25 miles.
Who Founded Best Buddies International?
Anthony Kennedy Shriver founded Best Buddies International in 1989. He helped start the 2026 New York ride from Central Park.
