BLACK FOREST, Colo. (KOAA) — When 30 cyclists push off from Hero's Hall in Black Forest on Thursday morning, they will be honoring those who have fallen, and working to save the lives of local first responders in Colorado.
That's the mission of 30 people who are partaking in the Tour de SHIELD616 2026 ride.
SHIELD616 is a Colorado-based nonprofit that works to ensure local first responders across the state have the gear and resources they need to accomplish their missions and ensure their safety.
This year's ride is raising money for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs police department (21 officers), Log Lane Village Department (3 officers), and the Poudre Fire District (20 firefighters). The money raised from the rides will go to things like buying rifle-rated armor protection for officers and donations to local fire departments.
If You Would Like To Get Involved You Can Donate Here.
The ride, which will start on Thursday, as the group sets off from SHIELD616's Hero's Hall in the Black Forest. From their riders will begin the more than 300-mile loop that should end right where they started in the Black Forest.
Day one will see the riders take on 98 miles ending in Hudson, Day 2 will lead the group nearly 90 miles from Hudson to Fort Collins, Day 3 will be slightly shorter with a 62-mile leg from Fort Collins to Littleton, and finally on Day 4 returning to Hero's Hall after 66 miles from Littleton back to the Black Forest area.
In total, the tour will tackle 326.3 miles of riding and 11,150 feet of elevation gain. News5 has been a proud media partner with the ride for years now, and News5's Carl Winder will be following the riders as they take on the challenge. You can catch daily updates of KOAA News5 or KOAA.com starting Thursday.
Watch Our Previous Coverage from the 2025 Tour de SHIELD616 ride in the video player below.
Since the organization's inception, SHIELD616 has raised $23.3 million and provided gear to over 9,000 first responders across 401 agencies nationwide in 32 states.
To learn more about the group and how you can help, click here.
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