The start/finish is located at the top of Cat’s Paw Hill (so named for the big-cat statue at the roadside) near the Met museum. This time of year the race rolls out in darkness at 6 a.m., but the reward is being home and dry by 9 at the latest with 24-36 miles of hardcore racing in your legs.

I suppose you’re right that there are 3 hills of note, but the terrain is rarely ever totally flat. The harlem hill at the top of the park looks tough, but the pack usually stays together since it’s not that long and you hit it after a screaming downhill. The real test comes on the west side of the loop when the pack hits the rollers and the second hill. If you get unhitched here your day is over.

The second half of the west side is very fast. After you pass Tavern on the Green (closed now I think), you loop around by Central Park South and go through what’s known as horse-shit alley. It’s the place where the carriages enter the park and seems to be a favorite place for the horses do what horses do. If it’s raining or wet the roost in your face is, well, you can imagine. The road narrows in the alley and is uphill a bit, but the pace is always hot. since you’re only about a mile or so from the finish. The sprint up cat’s paw is one of the toughest around. There is a longish, arcing downhill leading to the boat basin at the bottom of the hill, so the group is flying when you get there. There are a handful of local racers who have the finish dialed to perfection and make it look easy. For most everyone else it’s a roll of the dice. Go too early and you’ll get swallowed well before the line; too late and you risk getting boxed in or caught up in the all-too-frequent crashes.

I highly recommend racing in CPK. If you’re ever in the neighborhood w/ your bike it is a must-do.

The start/finish is located at the top of Cat’s Paw Hill (so named for the big-cat statue at the roadside) near the Met museum. This time of year the race rolls out in darkness at 6 a.m., but the reward is being home and dry by 9 at the latest with 24-36 miles of hardcore racing in your legs.

I suppose you’re right that there are 3 hills of note, but the terrain is rarely ever totally flat. The harlem hill at the top of the park looks tough, but the pack usually stays together since it’s not that long and you hit it after a screaming downhill. The real test comes on the west side of the loop when the pack hits the rollers and the second hill. If you get unhitched here your day is over.

The second half of the west side is very fast. After you pass Tavern on the Green (closed now I think), you loop around by Central Park South and go through what’s known as horse-shit alley. It’s the place where the carriages enter the park and seems to be a favorite place for the horses do what horses do. If it’s raining or wet the roost in your face is, well, you can imagine. The road narrows in the alley and is uphill a bit, but the pace is always hot. since you’re only about a mile or so from the finish. The sprint up cat’s paw is one of the toughest around. There is a longish, arcing downhill leading to the boat basin at the bottom of the hill, so the group is flying when you get there. There are a handful of local racers who have the finish dialed to perfection and make it look easy. For most everyone else it’s a roll of the dice. Go too early and you’ll get swallowed well before the line; too late and you risk getting boxed in or caught up in the all-too-frequent crashes.

I highly recommend racing in CPK. If you’re ever in the neighborhood w/ your bike it is a must-do.