STP 2023 Photo Album: The People's Ride Returns
Paul Tolmé
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5,500 people participated in the 2023 Kaiser Permanente Seattle to Portland Presented by Alaska Airlines.
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See the smiles and celebrate the success of #STP2023 in photos.
They came from around the Pacific Northwest and as far away as Germany to participate in one of the largest big group rides in the nation, pedaling 206 miles from Seattle to Portland on July 15 and 16 in a celebration of bicycling, friendship, family, fitness, community, and fun.
The 2023 Kaiser Permanente Seattle to Portland Presented by Alaska Airlines will enter the record books as the most inclusive and welcoming in STP's 44-year history. Among the participants were more than 50 STP Ambassadors and our Affinity Bike Club Partners representing a wide array of racial backgrounds, body types, gender identities, and physical abilities.
STP is for everyone. It's a ride, not a race. Every participant is a winner.
Join us in celebrating the 5,500 people who persevered through the heat and pushed themselves to complete the Pacific Northwest's most iconic and historic big group ride.
Riders set out before dawn on Saturday from Husky Stadium and crossed the University Bridge, passing over Lake Union and the houseboat communities below. Pedaling through Seattle while most of the city sleeps is a unique and beautiful experience.
The woodlands and blue waters of Lake Washington Boulevard offer a soothing and scenic start to STP. Sunlight filters through the trees and dapples the roadways.
More than 200 miles later, the finish line in Portland is a festival of smiles, hugs, and high-fives.
Hot temperatures on Saturday and Sunday afternoons made hydration crucial--and the fountains in Holladay Park popular.
The dogs needed a sip of water, too.
A dozen Major Taylor Project youth completed STP 2023 with the support of Cascade's MTP staff.
Everyone who registers for STP supports Cascade Bicycle Club's bike advocacy, education, and community building initiatives. Many groups ride STP as a way to support their causes. Gruppetto Cycling fielded a large team in support of the Foundation for Philippine Progress alongside other bike clubs with riders of Filipino heritage.
Gruppetto Cycling founder Gabe Castillo, a member of the Cascade Board of Directors, rode his 25th STP. Like a growing number of STPers, Gabe rides an electric bike.
Many of the riders of Filipino descent wore purple bandanas.
ASHA for Education, which supports educational opportunity and rural socioeconomic development in India, fielded a team of 55 STP riders this year. Next year they hope to field a team of more than 100!
Lewis Rudd, the co-founder of Ezell's Famous Chicken, completed his 32nd STP at age 68. Must be the biscuits!
People ride all styles of bicycles in STP, from tandems to hand cycles to recumbents, and more electric bikes every year.
Spectators line the finishing barricades to cheer on their loved ones and friends, and a New Orleans style marching band pumped up the crowd.
The finish line photo arch is a favorite spot for striking a pose and celebrating the achievements of STP riders.
Executive Director Lee Lambert, below, congratulated many finishers including Michael Beetham of REI--an STP sponsor.
Thank you to all our STP sponsors: Kaiser Permanente, Alaska Airlines, the Washington State Potato Commission, REI, and the Western Washington Honda Dealers Association, among others.
We spotted lots of Alaska Airlines cycling jerseys, below.
The Portland Bicycling Club staffed the free bike parking and turned out hundreds of volunteers to support the finish line festivities.
Cascade engages hundreds of volunteers to make STP happen, from Outriders, to medic riders, to volunteers who check bags and staff rest stops. This event could not happen without them and we salute their volunteerism. Below, a baggage truck volunteer helps load bags bound for Chehalis.
Volunteer Outrider (and STP Ambassador) Jessica Moskowitz, above, shows us with her hands how big her heart is.
Did you miss out on STP? You're in luck because RSVP, the Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party, is coming up on Aug. 26-27. Register here before Aug. 13 to do this 191-mile, fully supported, two-day ride with a layover in Bellingham (and a party in Vancouver, B.C.).
Thank you to everyone who made STP 2023 such an incredible success.
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