WORCESTER, Mass. - 51-year-old year Alex Merriweather wasn't going to miss the opportunity to put the pedal to the metal up a steep hill in Worcester.

It's all for the 20th annual George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor.

What You Need To Know

  • The 20th annual George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor was hosted in Worcester Sunday morning

  • More than 100 bikers Sunday were racing up the two-block hill spanning 500 feet

  • The George Street Bike Challenge was created in honor of Marshall "Major" Taylor, as the world cycling champion in 1899 used the street as a training ground while living in Worcester

  • Alex Merriweather, 51, from Georgia was one of the participants in the event who is also apart of the U Create Macon program in Georgia

"I'm feeling great, a little winded, this hill was a little bit more strenuous than we thought," Merriweather. "We add hill training into our program, but this was 17% with a 22% - excuse me!"

Merriweather has been biking for two years now as a member of the U Create Macon program in Georgia.

Other children from the program were among more than 100 bikers Sunday racing up the two-block hill spanning 500 feet.

Merriweather said biking is about feeling the energy he experienced as a child.

"Now that I'm older, I tap back into that good energy," said Merriweather. "When you get off, your endorphins are flowing, you feel so good,  like right now I'm just amped up, but I'm a little tired but yeah it's freedom."

The George Street Bike Challenge was created in honor of Marshall "Major" Taylor. The world cycling champion in 1899 used the street as a training ground while living in Worcester.

Major Taylor Association President Lynne Tolman said the event means a lot to many local residents who experience the hills of the city on a regular basis.

"Well it's an only in Worcester thing, this hill isn't replicated anywhere," Tolman said. "It's unique, it has a good vibe. I think Worcester people- we own this, we own these hills and we're not afraid of them. It is the kind of hill that stands up and laughs at you but we'll try it."

And for Merriweather, it's about continuing to honor the legacy of Major Taylor who was also known as the "Worcester Whirlwind."

"Riding the roads that made him such a fierce competitor," said Merriweather. "So we're stepping into his pedals as we used to say and following in his footsteps because it is a historical thing and we need to carry it on and that's what we're out here doing."

The proceeds from the event go towards the Major Taylor Association and helps maintain the Worcester statue of Major Taylor.

It also provides several schools with educational resources for their Major Taylor curriculum.