Unsanctioned races in Minneapolis
Minnesota, USA
Upcoming
The scene
Minneapolis and Saint Paul share a dense calendar of alleycats and bike races, collected on msp.bike. The Stupor Bowl has run on the Saturday before the Super Bowl since the late 1990s, the Minneapolis Bike Messenger Association scores a summer alleycat series, the No Name alleycat runs monthly, and Bonesaw Cycling Collective puts on Scaredy Cat and Cranksgiving. Versus Race Team and Lunch Break Brazing run cyclocross races they bill as unsanctioned, Bike Jerks holds free bandit cross on weeknights, and Babes in Bikeland, first run in 2007, returned in 2026. Saint Paul has its own races, among them the Ramsey Rampage hill alleycat, A Few Gears Eve on New Year’s Eve and its own Cranksgiving.
Notable races
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Bandit Dash on the River Bottoms
A self-supported night race in which riders roll about 10 miles together from Angry Catfish to a start on the river bottoms, then race about 9 miles to the Mendota VFW.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Versus Cross
A cyclocross race at Huset Park in Columbia Heights that its organisers bill as unsanctioned, with category races, a singlespeed and tracklocross race, a kids race and free entry for trans and gender non-conforming riders.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Lunch Break Brazing Cross
A cyclocross race at Cottage Grove Bike Park billed by its organisers as unsanctioned, with skill and gender categories plus klunker, singlespeed and tracklocross races and no racing license required.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Ramsey Rampage
A Saint Paul alleycat from Summit Overlook Park in which riders race several hill courses for points by finish time, with ties settled head to head on the main course and a $10 suggested donation.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Get Ya Glam On Alleycat
A costume-themed alleycat of about 25 miles from Hiawatha Beach to another city beach, with prizes for open, FTWNB, fixed gear, rookie and most glam riders and a $5 entry that turns no one away.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Babes in Bikeland
An alleycat for women, femme, trans and gender-expansive riders, first run in 2007 and held through 2016, which returned in 2026 with new organisers and 316 registered riders.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Powderhorn 4:20
A race of 4 hours and 20 minutes of laps around the Powderhorn neighborhood, ridden solo or in relay teams of up to four from Venture Bikes Midtown on the Midtown Greenway, in tribute to the former Powderhorn 24.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
A Few Gears Eve
A New Year’s Eve alleycat in Saint Paul that registers riders at The Spot Bar, rolls out to a secret start and runs up to 20 miles, with a suggested donation for Second Harvest Heartland.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Cranksgiving Saint Paul
A food drive alleycat from Zion Lutheran Church in Saint Paul in which riders buy groceries at local stores and bring them back to the church by bike.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Bandit Cross
Free cyclocross racing on bandit trails in Minneapolis with no entry fee and no prizes, with dates announced on the Bike Jerks Instagram.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
MBMA Summer Series
A season of alleycats run with the Minneapolis Bike Messenger Association and scored by points at each race, with champions crowned in Open, Women, Trans/GNC, First Fixed and DFL.
- CyclingWebsite ↗
Fixed Twin Cities races
Fixed-gear-only sprint brackets and parking lot crit heats, including 2025 races on the University of Minnesota transitway and in Saint Paul.
Recently run on ALLEYKAT
Running[00]
No running race in Minneapolis has run on ALLEYKAT yet.
Cycling[00]
No cycling race in Minneapolis has run on ALLEYKAT yet.
How races get in here
The directory is curated by ALLEYKAT. Races timed on the app appear in their city on their own once they have a date or have been run, and everything else is added by hand after we have checked it against the organiser’s own page. There is no form and no fee.