So you want to host a Cranksgiving. That’s fantastic! You don’t have to be an experienced race organizer to pull off a highly successful event, in fact, Cranksgiving is a great place to cut your teeth!

As a planner you’ll want to focus your energy in a few key areas. Even better, find some friends to help you cover these essentials.

The Route

Cranksgiving is typically based off the alleycat format, so ‘the route’ consists of a list of stops or checkpoints, usually grocery or convenience stores. Riders are tasked with devising their own the fastest routes, taking into account traffic, trails and busy checkout aisles.

The Manifest

This is the list of items riders will need to collect. If you are working directly with a local charity, it may be helpful to ask what items are in short supply for the holiday season ahead. A list of food banks by city/state can be found here.

The Promotion

Spread the word to local bike clubs, put a poster up in your local shop. Use Instagram, Facebook, your local newspaper’s calendar section, and don’t forget to post your event listing here at Cranksgiving.org to make it official.


A Word about Covid-19
The appearance of Covid-19 has brought changes to the way events are organized around the world. Join our Facebook group for the most up to date ideas on hosting a successful Cranksgiving ride.

The Big Day

Pick a start/finish location like a pizza joint, pub or restaurant that doesn’t mind if things get a little rowdy. Have someone who is good with numbers to tally receipts and keep track of time. Prizes aren’t really the point, but it is really fun to recognize the achievements of individual riders (fastest woman, fastest team, most generous, etc…)

Donating the Food

The last element of Cranksgiving is donating all the purchased items to your local charity! Having the riders themselves participate in the donation process is highly recommended. Even though one person may have won the day, having everyone involved in the charitable act of giving provides all riders with a sense of accomplishment.

That’s it! Of course you can go as crazy as you want, but those are the essentials. For a deeper dive, visit this Cranksgiving Organizer’s page.

Ready to give it a go? Add your city to the map.

Need to make changes to an existing listing? Edit my listing