The Pan-Mass Challenge cycling fundraiser will have its primary start in Worcester for the first time this year, and Central Massachusetts business leaders are preparing for the 2,900 riders and economic attention expected to come this summer.
The Pan-Mass Challenge cycling fundraiser will have its primary start in Worcester for the first time this year, and Central Massachusetts business leaders are preparing for the 2,900 riders and economic attention expected to come this summer.About 70 business leaders from Greater Worcester attended a Pan-Mass Challenge kickoff event Monday at the startup accelerator Auxilium, where leaders from the PMC and the region spoke about the ways to capitalize on the opportunity.“The Pan-Mass Challenge starting here is a really great opportunity for Worcester, especially for the business community,” said Karen Pelletier, executive vice president for the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.Karen Pelletier (center) from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce speaks at Monday's Pan-Mass Challenge event at the Auxilium in Worcester, as Grace Lee (right), president and CEO of St. Mary's Credit Union, and Monique Messier Joseph, president of Discover Central Massachusetts, look on. PHOTO | BRAD KANEPMC has multiple starting lines throughout the state, but the primary one has been in Sturbridge since the event was founded in 1980. The event concludes in Provincetown on Cape Cod. Riders raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Last year, the event raised $78 million.The nonprofit decided to switch the primary start this year to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester because the city has more amenities like hotels and restaurants to accommodate the riders, said Billy Starr, president, founder, and chairman of the PMC.Billy Starr, president, founder, and chairman of the Pan-Mass Challenge. PHOTO | COURTESY OF THE PAN-MASS CHALLENGE“Worcester has a legit cycling community,” Starr said. “This is a win-win.”When PMC announced the switch from Sturbridge to Worcester, registrations for the 2026 event spiked by 450 riders, said Starr. About 6,200 riders are expected to participate in the event Aug. 1, with 2,900 riders starting in Worcester, the largest share of any location. The second-largest starting location is Babson College in Wellesley.“That’s a pretty strong endorsement that people want to experience this new start and this town,” he said.Among attendees were UniBank CEO Ed Augustus; Jon Weaver, president and CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives; Andy Davis, director of Worcester Regional Airport; Zak Dutton, director at Auxilium; David Klein, CEO of Greenwood Industries; Julie Bowditch, executive director of CASA Project Worcester County; Worcester City Manager Eric Batista; Kimberly Salmon, AVP of community relations at Hanover Insurance Group; and Worcester Railers President David Aitken.“Worcester is very lucky to be able to showcase our grit, determination, love, and caring,” Klein said. “We will take care of the PMC for now and forever.”Grace Lee, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Credit Union in Marlborough, helped organize the event.“Up until recently, Worcester was not a destination for these types of events,” Lee said. “That is starting to change.”Brad Kane is editor of the Worcester Business Journal.
