WHO ARE WE?

Wild Side Events is owned by Lew Kidder & Karen McKeachie, long-time residents of Ann Arbor. And we’ll give you the bad news right upfront: we have never before produced a plain old bike race. Not that there is anything plain, or old, about bike races of course.

The good news? We’ve been in the events business for a long time. Lots of running races, lots of triathlons, adventure races, orienteering meets. Over 60 major events in all, with more than 50,000 customers. Long before XTERRA was even a gleam in Nissan’s eyes, we produced the first mountain bike multi-sport race in the eastern U.S., way back in 1990 (we called it the “Michigan Fat Tire Biathlon” – a run-bike-run at Addison Oaks, just north of Rochester, Michigan). We race too – in fact, Karen is an 11-time national age-group champion in triathlon and finished in the top ten at Ironman way back in 1984. In other words, we know what you want - and we know how to make sure you get it!

OUR GUARANTEE

We guarantee a great race – just not an easy one. This WILL be a very challenging course. We guarantee superb organization – which is another way of confessing our basic anal-ness. We guarantee a good time – especially if you like dirt and beer. Hopefully, not dirt IN your beer, however. And if you feel we have failed to meet any of our guarantees, we will personally send you a photo of us that you can tack to the wall and target with darts. Note: Tacks and darts not included.

EVENTS FOUNDED AND PRODUCED BY KAREN & LEW

  • Ann Arbor Triathlon (10), 1986-1991 and 1997-2000
  • Waterloo Triathlon (5),1983 and 1997-2000
  • Tri-Kids Triathlon (4) 1988-1991
  • Michigan Fat Tire Biathlon (2), 1990-1991
  • Summer Biathlon Series (4),1988
  • Silver Gallup (2), 1989-1990
  • Women's Only 5 Mile Run (1) 1979
  • Cheers! 5K Run (1) 1985
  • Race for Reason 5K (1), 2006
  • Domino’s Festival of Races (2), 1999-2000
  • Mitral Mile (2), 1999-2000
  • Festival of Lights 5K Run (2), 1999-2000
  • Tri Goddess Triathlon (a current Epic Races event co-founded with Eva Solomon) (2), 2009-2010
  • Battle of Waterloo Adventure Race (a current Epic Races event co-founded with Eva Solomon) (2) 2009-2010
  • Swim to the Moon 5K Open Water Swim (a current Epic Races event co-founded with Eva Solomon) (1), 2010
  • Waterloo Open Water Swims (4), 1998
  • Waterloo 4 Mile Trail Run (4), 1998


EXISTING EVENTS DIRECTED BY KAREN & LEW

  • Dexter-Ann Arbor Run (5), 2002-2006
  • One Helluva Ride (1), 1985
  • Southern Michigan Orienteering Meets (18), 1997-2010