Thousands of Riders Now Set for Minnesota’s Spring Flood Run

It's an event that began over 50 years ago as a way to help Minnesota communities affected by spring flooding, and it's returning this weekend to unofficially kick off the motorcycle season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

What Is Minnesota’s Spring Flood Run and Where It Goes

If you've lived in Minnesota for even a short amount of time, you've likely heard of the Spring Flood Run. It's a three-day event for Minnesota motorcyclers that runs from Friday, April 24th, through April 26th, where thousands of riders will take to the route along the scenic Mississippi and St. Croix Valley roadways between the Twin Cities metro area and Winona.

How the 1965 Flood Sparked a Lasting Motorcycle Tradition

According to the Great River Road website, the run started informally back in 1965, when a group of motorcyclists rode from Saint Paul to Winona along Highway 61 to help with sandbagging efforts after massive flooding that spring.

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It has since morphed into an annual event that sees thousands of motorcyclists take to the highways here in Minnesota and across the Mississippi River in Wisconsin, and has become one of the largest rallies in the country. The event now raises money for Gillette Children's Hospital in Saint Paul, and is an unofficial kick-off to the motorcycling season here in the North Star State.

Why the Spring Flood Run Is So Big in Minnesota Today

And motorcycling is popular here in Minnesota. According to recent estimates, there are anywhere from 400,000 to 430,000 licensed motorcycle riders in the Gopher State. (Including me. I got my motorcycle license over 20 years ago, and while I don't own a cycle anymore, I still keep that endorsement current on my driver's license.)

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The Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (MMSC) is a part of the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and provides high-quality rider education, training, and licensing to help prevent motorcycle crashes and the resulting fatalities and injuries.

Because there are likely to be thousands of motorcycles on the roads in Minnesota during this weekend's Spring Flood Run, MMSC offers the following tips:

For car/truck/SUV drivers:

• Watch for motorcycles. Due to their smaller size, their speed and distance are more difficult to judge.
• Always look twice before entering a roadway or changing lanes.
• Give riders room and check blind spots before changing lanes or making a turn.

For motorcyclists:

• Be prepared for inattentive drivers by staying focused on riding and keeping speed in check.
• Lane splitting is never allowed at more than 25 mph, and no more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic.
• Lane filtering is never allowed at more than 15 mph over the speed of traffic.
• Wear the gear. Motorcyclists should wear a helmet approved by the Department of Transportation and brightly colored protective gear for visibility and protection.
• Ride sober: One-third of all motorcycle fatalities involve impaired riders.