As he pedalled away, Dwight Hurd turned to his son, Mitch, and said: “That guy is crazy, it will never work.”

The guy he was talking about was Mike Caligiuri and the “it” was Pelotonia.

Dwight and Mitch, and even (make that “especially”) Mike, now laugh about “the story.”

So, let’s travel back to 2008, long before our first ride in 2009. Pelotonia is just a gleam in the eye of Mike, the CEO of the James and director of the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center. There’s no Pelotonia office, no arrows or yard signs, no website that counts how many Riders have registered and all the millions they’ve raised. There’s not even a name. It’s just “the ride.”

Dwight, now 84, and Mitch and a few others are out on a ride, and head north, along the Olentangy to Prospect. They stop at a store to get a snack, and are sitting on the picnic benches.

“These two riders came up and started asking us questions about routes in the area, about the roads and suggestions for where to ride,” Dwight said. “They asked us about organized rides and which ones we did.”

Mike introduced himself and “said he was sorry for all the questions, but he was working on putting together a ride to raise money for cancer research,” Mitch added.

They chatted some more, and then the Hurds and their group took off. This is when Dwight turned to his son and uttered his now-famous (infamous?) “he’s crazy” line.

“It’s the most wrong I’ve ever been,” Dwight said, adding he’s delighted to be so wrong. “I’m so amazed at what Mike has been able to do in this community with Pelotonia.”

Dwight, who was treated for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2001, had the chance to tell Dr. Caligiuri just how wrong he was at a recent Pelotonia fundraising event where Dr. Caligiuri was the speaker.

“I went up and told him the story,” Dwight said. “Then, Mike gets up to talk about the James and Pelotonia and all the research Pelotonia is funding. And he says, ‘Dwight, come up here and tell your story.’”

“My Dad’s not shy,” Mitch said with a chuckle.

Dwight went up and told everyone his pre-Pelotonia, “he’s crazy” story, which is now officially part of Pelotonia history!

Pelotonia has become a big part of the Hurd’s life. Dwight and Mitch rode together the first few years, and Mitch has ridden every year. Dwight’s wife, Jackie Cooper, has ridden a few times, as has Mitch’s wife, Sharon Reiff.

Dwight, an attorney, hasn’t been able to ride in Pelotonia the past few years due to some mechanical problems. No, not his bike, his knee and hip, which have each been replaced. But this amazingly active octogenarian is ready to get back on his bike and plans to ride in Pelotonia 17.

“Our whole family is involved, whether it’s riding, donating money, supporting everyone, we’re totally into Pelotonia,” Mitch said.

“It’s amazing,” Dwight said of Pelotonia. “And I’m still amazed every year by how many people are out there, lining the streets, with signs and cheering. It’s unbelievable.”

We are glad to have these community members around as historians to tell the very beginning of Pelotonia’s story – before it even existed.