The Manayunk Wall will be climbed again next summer as the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is slated to return, bringing some of the world’s top riders back to the city for the first time in 10 years.
The race, which is known as much for its grueling ascent as it is for the revelers who make the course feel like a block party, will be revived on Aug. 30, 2026 with a men’s and women’s race.
The Cycling Classic ran every summer after launching in 1985 but has not been held since 2016 due to a lack of sponsorship.
Former Mayor Michael Nutter and two local businessmen — Eric Robbins and Carlos Rogers — are at the helm of the new race.
“This is the people’s race,” Nutter said. “It spans an area of 14-plus miles from Center City to Fairmount Park to Manayunk. The cyclists take in all of that and I think our course is a dynamic that I don’t think cyclists will find in other places. Whether it’s wheels, a puck, a ball, or anything else, Philadelphians just embrace sports and athletes. It’s a celebration of the city.”
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The race’s return next summer will join an already crowded sports calendar. The FIFA Men’s World Cup, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, PGA Championship, and the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament will be in Philadelphia as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration.
“All of them are spectacular in their own right,” Nutter said. “But this is the pure Philadelphia event. I love MLB, PGA, NCAA, and FIFA. But this is a singular Philadelphia-based event that continues into the future. We welcome all of those other folks to come back. We’re going to be here.”
The first race was won in 1985 by Eric Heiden, five years after he won five Gold medals in speedskating at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Lance Armstrong won the race in 1993 and Greg LeMond raced in the 1990s. The Cycling Classic brought elite riders to Philadelphia every summer as they climbed Levering Street and sped past the packed bars in Manayunk. It was a scene.
“Yes, it’s about an international bike race that we’re hosting in one of the greatest cities in the country,” Robbins said. “But it extends far more than that. It’s a celebration. It’s a time to escape all the craziness in the world and just have a good time with our friends and neighbors and put on a hell of a bike race at the same time.”
The Manayunk Wall was mapped out before the first race by Jerry Casale and David Chauner, who charted the 14.4 mile course. They needed something unique. They found it on Levering Street. The hill reminded Chauner of a race he saw in Belgium that has the legendary Mur Gramont, which translated to “The Wall.” So they called their hill the “Manayunk Wall.”
It quickly became the signature element of the race. The ascent’s 17% gradient is so steep that it makes a car feel like a roller coaster as it climbs. It’s easy to imagine how it feels to navigate it when pedaling a two-wheeler.
“No doubt, it’s challenging,” said Rogers, who competed in the race alongside Armstrong. “I have to say though, the crowd and when you’re in with a bunch of riders, it’s almost like all of that cacophony helps you get up and over. You don’t have an option. I remember each time just coming around, taking a deep breath, and preparing at the bottom.”
The Philadelphia race was sponsored by various banks during its 32-year run until 2017 when organizers were unable to land a sponsor. The new group — named Race Street Partners — landed a deal with AmeriGas to sponsor the race’s return. They believe the race will be viable. It’s not a one-off event. The Wall will be climbed again.
“It’s a passionate project in a passionate city in a time where we can all quite honestly use a little more fun and a different kind of excitement,” Nutter said. “It’s going to be spectacular.”