On September 12, 2024, the United States Air Force and Space Force Cyclists will begin Day 1 of the third annual Air Force Heritage Memorial to Memorial (M2M) four-day bicycle ride. As of today, 220 cyclists are set to participate in the journey from the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills to the US Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. As of today, 220 cyclists are set to participate. These men and women are active duty and retired Airmen and Guardians and will include all ranks from 4 star officers to most junior Airmen and Guardians, including 2 wounded men and 1 woman.
The event will begin at 7 a.m. when the Kill Devil Hills Police Departments (KDHPD) provides traffic control on Route 158 at the front entrance of the Wright Brothers Memorial to permit the cyclists to safely cross into the Memorial Grounds. The cyclists will assemble in front of the Wright Memorial for a brief opening ceremony with the national anthem, pre-ride remarks, and a group photograph taken while a flight of two Air Force F-15 fighters accompanied by a KC-46 refueling aircraft pass overhead.
After the ceremony, the cyclists will exit the memorial grounds between 7:20 and 7:30 and with traffic control provided by the KDHPD, Kitty Hawk PD, Currituck County Sheriff’s Department, and the Chesapeake PD pedal their bikes nearly 95 miles to their first overnight stop at hotels in Chesapeake City.
This year, the M2M estimated economic impact to NC and VA to be $219,000. As the M2M grows in future years –even to thousands of cyclists– the economic impact to the communities will grow as well.
The purpose of the M2M is to (a) Celebrate US Air Force Heritage, (b) Promote fitness and recruiting, and (c) support our wounded Airmen and Guardians. The M2M to date has focused its participation on US Air and Space Force cyclists, active duty and retired. We plan to broaden that focus in coming years to include all military branches and civilian cyclists as we strive to become one of the largest cycling events in the US.
To better understand the history of Air Force Cycling please explore our websites US Air Force Cycling Team (afcycling.com) and M2M Ride – US Air Force Cycling Team (afcycling.com).