The Northbrook Grand Prix bicycle race circled Village Green Park as the Chicago Grit cycling racing series came to downtown Northbrook in sunny, pleasant weather on July 23.
Northbrook has kept the Thursday slot in the 10-day competitive series that began this year on Friday, July 17 in West Dundee and concluded in Chicago Fulton Market on Sunday, July 26. Host suburban towns included Mundelein and Lake Bluff.
A free family fun community bike ride offered the opportunity to cycle the Northbrook course on closed streets around Village Green Park.
Professional level races Thursday were the last races of the day, the Women Pro 1/2 and Men Pro 1/2.
Jim Brown of Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, England took first place in the men’s pro race and Skylar Schneider of West Allis, Wisconsin placed first in the women’s pro race.
Schneider said after the women’s race about her team that they have, “confidence in each other.”
Brown expressed appreciation for Northbrook spectators, saying, “They’re always cheering…it’s really good.”
Jake Zyromski of Indianapolis, Indiana was the first finisher of the Men Cat 2/3 (5-day mini-series) race.
“It feels really good,” Zyromski said of the win. “My team really worked their butt off.”
In partnership with Northbrook governmental entities, the Northbrook Grand Prix is organized with volunteers and the event’s local organizing committee of five members.
More than $10,000 was raised by the local organizing committee to return to the Village of Northbrook in reimbursement toward the cost of producing the Northbrook race.
Rob Paetsch of Northbrook, local organizing committee chairperson, said regarding rising attendance over recent years, “We’re trending up.
“We really want to thank the businesses and the residents around the course,” Paetsch said.
“We come in here to disrupt their lifestyle but we’re hoping we’re introducing new people to this location that will start patronizing their restaurants and businesses and if you go on the Church (street) side, they’re out on the lawns throwing parties.”
Volunteers included Terry Kasdan of Northbrook, who grew up in Glenview and is of the Glenbrook South High School Class of 1991.
Son Jonah Kasdan, a 2025 Glenbrook North High School graduate, served as social media intern along with fellow interns Josh Raju of Northbrook, a GBN senior, and Veronika Manoshin of Northbrook, a GBN 2025 graduate.
“This is the fifth annual Northbrook Grand Prix, so we’ve gotten to that point where we can say it’s become one of those traditions here in Northbrook that people look forward to,” Terry Kasdan said.
“Northbrook’s been around for 125 years now and we’ve got all these great traditions and this is definitely one of them,” he added.
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Jonah Kasdan said about spectators, “They’re excited to come out and support everything.”
Raju said about the race, “It brings people together.”
Northbrook has a velodrome at Meadowhill Park, a “rare” biking amenity around the United States, and Manoshin added that the velodrome, “definitely makes Northbrook an established cycling town.”
Henry Brenner, 4, of Arlington Heights, noshed on his mint chocolate chip ice cream along the corner at Shermer Road and Meadow Road with his mother Rachel Brenner of Arlington Heights, of the GBN Class of 2004, and Henry’s grandmother Donna Torf of Northbrook.
“This is so cool,” Rachel Brenner said. “I love that this is the way that we’re using our downtown area.
“This is amazing to be able to be here and watch this.”