The third Tour de Sem of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will take place on May 5. Participants, including faculty, staff, students, spouses and friends from the Seminary community, will bicycle 95 miles from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Columbia, Ill., to the original site of Concordia Seminary at Trinity Lutheran Church, Altenberg, Mo. Although the event is geared primarily towards members of the Seminary community, all riders are welcome to participate.
The cyclists meet at the Seminary, then shuttle to Columbia, Ill., for a 7:30 a.m. start. The ride ends with dinner and tours of the original Seminary site and other historical sites of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, provided by the Perry County Lutheran Historical Society.
Prof. Jeffrey Kloha, assistant professor of exegetical theology at the Seminary and an avid cyclist, and a group of students organize the ride. “Since we’ve started the Tour de Sem, the response among students, staff, and faculty has been great. Many have taken up cycling as a regular form of exercise, and I’ll often see guys riding together in Forest Park,” Kloha commented. “You get to know each other pretty well when you ride together for three or four hours. It’s been great to see the students grow, not only as servants of the Gospel but also as individuals and athletes.”
Many voluntary fitness groups are active on the Seminary campus. A group of runners organizes 5K and 10K runs each year, and students are training together for the St. Louis Marathon in April.
Registration for the Tour de Sem is due on April 26 and will cost $25-$30. For more information or a registration form, contact Prof. Jeffrey Kloha at (314) 505-7566; [email protected] [1], or visit the Cycling page on the Seminary Web site at www.csl.edu/CampusLife_Athletics_Cycling.aspx [2].