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The annual Selma to Montgomery 51-mile Bike Relay and Bike Ride took place Saturday.

Under a chilly breeze, nearly 1,000 participants at Rexall Drug Company registered and prepared for the race.  Competitors either walked or rode on a bike through the 12-hour, 51-mile journey. The race began at the Edmund Pettus Bridge and ended at the State Capitol in Montgomery.

Mary Gooden, one of the race organizers, said the race never loses its purpose each year. The Civil Rights Race Series hosted the race.

“We love having the race start in Selma and end in Montgomery,” Gooden said. “It’s a way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King and the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965.”

Participants came from over the country besides the state. Racers ranged from Nashville, Atlanta, and Dallas. They all enjoyed the race.

“Awesome seeing so many enthusiastic athletes out there,” said Barrett Hopper, a Dallas, Texas resident.

Added Nashville’s Fairrae Fields: ” I have run many races but the Selma to Montgomery 51-mile relay tops them all. What a historic race to be able to run on the streets that were a part of the Civil Rights movement was everything.”

Raynard Lawler, Patrick Towns, and Davis Mahaffey were the other race organizers.