Marist Conquers Everest in Riverside Ride Fest

The six different cyclists of the event, from left to right: Dr. Nicholas Marshall, Dr. Henry Pratt, Dr. John Galbraith, Alex Weinman '25M, President Kevin C. Weinman and Matt Pater '26. Credit: Andrew Breen '25

Mount Everest is the Earth’s biggest mountain, and climbing to the top is a massive achievement for all who complete it. But what if you biked it? Well, that’s not possible due to the snow and terrain of Mount Everest; however, the next best place is the riverfront of Marist College.

Everesting is a challenge in which cyclists ascend a hill multiple times until they reach the height of Mount Everest, which is exactly 29,029 feet. Professor Eileen Curley’s event management class spent a semester project planning what came to be known as the Riverside Ride Fest. 

“President [Kevin C.] Weinman and Dr. [Nicholas] Marshall were talking about doing an Everesting,” said Curley. “They started talking about it as being a fundraiser on campus and talking about it becoming a special topics class.”

The event also had a fundraising purpose. “The class picked the Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience,” said Curley. The fund allows students from all financial backgrounds to have a successful four years at Marist, especially in regards to internships or attachment programs. 

“[The cyclists] are going to ride 29,029 feet in total, the riders have to accumulate 631 laps,” said Curley, explaining how Everesting at Marist would work. Riverside Ride Fest took place between the two boathouses at Longview Park on the Hudson River on April 23, from 3 to 6 p.m. 

“It was an interesting adventure for students who have never planned a large-scale event like this before and to see what goes into these things,” said Molly Emmens ‘25, a student from Curley’s class. “I learned a lot about how the campus operates and how to work with different offices; it really was a semester-long culmination.” 

However, planning the event wasn’t without its complexities, especially regarding the involvement of offices on campus, such as Grounds, Maintenance, the Office of the President, Security and Alumni.

For the event, six cyclists took on the Everesting, consisting of both Marist faculty and students: Weinman, Marshall, Dr. John Galbraith, Dr. Henry Pratt, Matt Pater '26 and Alex Weinman '25M. 

Both Marshall and Pater had heard of the Everesting challenge but never attempted it. 

“I think it's going to be an exciting day; I’ve never done something like this,” said Pater. 

At the event, there were a range of activities outside the Everesting itself. There were various lawn games ranging from cornhole to Kan Jam to Spikeball. Furthermore, under the tent, there was both a DJ and a food truck — Waffle Wagon — which focused on chicken and waffles and milkshakes. Event-specific items with bike keychains and water bottles were handed out.

Weinman's favorite part of the event was the fact that it was created by a class.

Dr. Nicholas Marshall zooms past during the Everesting challenge.Credit: Andrew Breen '25

“It was planned, designed and organized by students from an operations standpoint and also from a PR standpoint,” said Weinman. “My view is that it is experiential learning at its best, and we are all learning this together. We are also giving the community a really special chance to come out in the sunshine.” 

Furthermore, Weinman reflected on the plethora of student events from the past weeks, ranging from Marist Theatre’s Playwrights’ Festival and Marist College Dance Ensemble’s “Radiance” showcase.

“This is the time of year when there are a lot of performances and research presentations,” said Weinman. “They have been working so hard, and I’m happy to be there for them.”

After nearly two and a half hours of constant riding and ascending and descending two hills, the six cyclists finished their goal. On top of the cyclists' achievements, $2,000 was raised during the event for the Presidential Fund for Equity.

The event was well-received by the Marist community, as hundreds of students attended on the sunny Tuesday afternoon. With multiple activities, great weather and a fun overall idea, the Riderside Ride Fest could be the beginning of many class-developed events in the coming fall 2024 semester.