U.S. 98 Trailhead, Northern Terminus
Ride start group photo
At Lutz-Lake Fern Road.
U.S. 98 Trailhead, Northern Terminus
S.T.A.R.Event (Suncoast Trail Annual Ride Event)
​S.T.A.R. Event
ORIGINS OF THE EVENT
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Two cyclists, One concept
TJ's Tale

In 2003, not long after the northern section was completed, TJ rode the full length of the Suncoast Trail and realized that an organized ride of it should be assembled. He reflected on the annual ride on the Pinellas Trail that he had regularly been taking part in and thought that the Suncoast offers a much better cycling experience, from various standpoints. These include getting a better overall cardio workout, to being able to focus on one's form and it also provides the comfort of increased safety with lesser road crossings. So, with the concept born, TJ, like the rest of us had to face the fact that life does occasionally get in the way of the cool stuff. So, the potential of a ride on the Suncoast Trail wasn't forgotten. It was just pushed to the back burner.
CJ's Chronicle

After having ridden the trail for the four times in 2006 - including working it in as part of rides that were up to 175 miles in length - CJ was convinced that this trail needed to be recognized in an event. It had all the elements of a great ride. The fewer road crossing than the Pinellas Trail was the primary admiration, which went hand-in-hand with encountering less people. Combine that with the challenge provided by the hills in northern section and you have enough variety to keep most cyclists happy. With all that in CJ's mind, it baffled him why an annual ride had not yet been initiated.
A Shared Concept
Fast forward a couple of years, February to be precise.
The setting was Keystone Road in Tarpon Springs.
Cycling on the roadway, having just rode north from John Chesnut Park, was CJ. His destination was an organized ride of the Pinellas Trail, a "Head-to-Toe" ride, as it is called. The start of which took place on the trail beneath the U.S. Highway 19 overpass.
TJ was driving along Keystone at that same time, as he too was heading to the ride. He recognized CJ and with traffic nearly non-existant, the two friends stopped momentarily and shared some words. During the conversation CJ mentioned that a similar ride needed to be done on the Suncoast Trail. To his delight he was met with agreement. TJ reinforced it by stating that he had tossed that idea around for a while.
It was at that moment that both cyclists realized that thier idea had just become a shared concept.
With CJ's deployments getting in the way, the first organized Suncoast Trail "Toe-to-Head" wasn't planned right away, but it was thought about. Upon his year end return in 2010, he called TJ, played catch up a bit and they chose a weekend to turn the cranks... Thus, an annual event was born.
TJ, captain of the Suncoast Cycling Club’s BikeMS team, had contacts for his team of riders, who he would enlist for their own good. CJ, being home from his life at sea, had the time to plan, market and send out the invites. So, it was set.
For some it was just an excuse to get out and ride a few miles with friends, but the real focus was using it as a long distance training ride for those who were planning to ride the BikeMS. Since that first year, team riders have been routinely using the S.T.A.R. Event as their first long ride of the season. This idea gave the ride true purpose.
The two friends couldn't have been more satisfied with the way things were progressing. Five years later this entry was made onto a website and the satisfaction based around a shared concept continues.