Inline Skating Events Around the World

Worldwide (from an American perspective) Skate Events
These are just a small sample of the events around the country that I've gone to, love, and/or am dreaming of going to. Many more events can be found in the inline skating category of The Open Directory Project.

Bike the Drive
From Chicago's 57th street to Hollywood Ave and back again. (Car Free!!!) There are water and snack stops along the route and music and lunch at the end. Yes, it is billed as a "bike" tour, but every year skaters do the whole route and feel." Check it out!

The Great Race, Elkhart, IN
Now! 34 Events! "Just Something for everyBODY" but for skater there is a 10K criterium and a half-marathon. Within driving distance of Chicago without a stay over. The folks in Elkhart have worked very hard keep this event alive and to improve it every year.

Big Granite Marathon, Ashland Wisconsin
The Big Granite Races will be held on a 13.1 mile looped course of town roads, state & county highways. The marathon will be two laps of this course. The entire lap has been paved in the last two years and features quality blacktop. The course is an aerobically challenging course and includes one significant downhill that generates fast speeds. As such, it is not advised that beginning skaters register for this race and all registrants should have experience and be comfortable with skating more challenging hills.

Badger State Games, Madison, WI
Out of state skaters are now welcomed to participate in this Wisconsin tradition. This is the closest full marathon-distance race to the Chicago area, drive up and check it out.

Philadelphia Freedom Skate
The biggest skate party in the country." "The Woodstock of skating." 700 skaters skate-eat-skate-drink-sleep-skate in the cradle of freedom. Freedom Skate Web Site

Saint Paul Inline Marathon
The Saint Paul Inline Marathon isn't just about getting to the finish line first, it's about skating with friends, families, co-workers and teammates. It's about challenging yourself to try something new and doing it. It's about the pride you feel when you cross the finish line.
First-time marathoners share the road with the world's top professionals. The Saint Paul Inline Marathon is an achievable challenge for skaters from all walks of life: young, old, moms, dads, grandparents and siblings...you name it and they skate it.
This is a very well run event, on good roads. Well worth the drive.

Sports Grand Prix, Downers Grove
The Nation’s Best Cyclists & Inline Skaters compete for 7 national championships and $65,000 in Cash and Prizes Check out their site.

Two events, The NYC Skate Marathon and Big Apple Roll
Web Site, here you can sign up for a 26 mile marathon AND a weekend of state skating through NYC, how can you miss?

NorthShore Inline Marathon, Duluth, Minnesota
The largest skate event in North America. 4000 (yes, four thousand) skaters race 26 miles along the north shore of Lake Superior on a flat, fast closed course. www.northshoreinline.com

Annual Athens-to-Atlanta Road Skate
Skate 38, 52 or 87 miles in America's oldest and most famous road skate. Start on the college town of Athens, Georgia and skate through the rolling countryside to Dacula (38 miles) or continue on through and finally roll into downtown Atlanta's Piedmont Park (87 miles).www.a2a.net

The Long Beach International City Marathon
Perhaps no other Inline Marathon course in the country can match the scenery of this Long Beach event. The course is flat fast and scenic. Read more at the Web Site

Cactus Speed Classic
Oro Valley, AZ, for more info check out the web site.

The Tahiti Nui Roller Marathon
The most exotic Inline marathon in the world
T he Tahiti Nui Roller Marathon breaks away from Moorea for an excursion to the Peninsula of Tahiti. In this wilderness sanctuary, life goes on very peacefully, like out of this time. This place has been named Tahiti Iti (Little Tahiti). It guarantees a total step back into the authentic French Polynesia. Grab a piece of paradise

The Great EsSkate, Miami Beach
Break away from arctic winter & daily stress... make the Great EsSkate. It's an endless tropical weekend jammed with parties, group skating, picnics, skate tours, skating competitions, prizes & much more!!! (OK this is the hype right off their web site, but Chicago participants loved it and go back year after year.)

Eddy Matzger Workshop
An intense, participatory, interactive skating and racing workshop taught by the one-and-only 6-time winner of Athens-to-Atlanta. No other skate clinic comes close to offering the personal attention and instruction of this weekend workshop. When in Chicago it's held on the lakefront in beautiful downtown Chicago, enjoy The Taste of Chicago during lunch then burn it off learning the double push! Info at www.skatecentral.com

Zephyr Inline Skate Tours Various skate tours and camps in Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania Amish, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard, Minnesota, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Paris. Too many details to mention. See the web site or call 1-888-SK8-TOUR for a free brochure.www.skatetour.com