LOCAL NOTES
Athletic activities around the greater Houston area.
CYCLING
Michael Jackson Night
Light Vibe begins at 7 p.m. Friday at Third Ward Tours, 2301 Elgin St. Riders cruise the streets on bikes with multi-color LED lights to Michael Jackson tunes with breaks at Hermann Park, Discovery Green and Midtown Park. Visit LetsDoThisHouston on Facebook.
Bike the Bend for Literacy on Sunday morning includes scenic 20, 35 and 62-mile routes in Fort Bend County. Organizers supply snacks, ride marshals for safety, ample route signage and a cheering section to greet riders at the finish line. Local food trucks will provide lunches for purchase. The ride, which raises funds to combat illiteracy in Fort Bend County, begins at Foster High School, 4400 FM 723 in Richmond. Contact 281240-8181 or visit ftbendliteracy.org.
Ready2Roll Training Series
will be offered by Bike Barn West University, 5339 Weslayan, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The series, specifically geared to riders training for the BP MS 150, includes a new rider orientation, step-by-step instructions for a successful BP MS 150, a 14-ride training series, safety etiquette, group riding skills, basic bicycle maintenance and tips on fundraising for the Bike MS events. The event is free, but reservations are requested. Visit bikebarn.com.
BikeHouston is offering a oneon-one class about how to ride a bicycle from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Rice University Bioscience Research Collaborative parking garage, 6500 Main St. Instructors are certified by the League of America Bicyclists. Visit bikehouston.org.
GOLF
Registration is open for Little John Golf League’s Jan. 14 tournament at Cypress Lakes Golf Club. Contact president@ littlejohngolfleague.org.
RUNNING
The IceHouse Runners meet at 7 p.m. Friday at the stretch deck at Memorial Park to run or walk a lap. Visit meetup.com/ icehouserunners.
Inside the Loop runners will hit the trails both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. An 8 a.m. start Saturday begins at the Centennial Gardens in parking lot C in Hermann Park for either a 2-mile trip around the park’s loop or a 5-mile jaunt around the loop plus the Rice University loop. The run ends with brunch at a nearby restaurant. The Sunday morning jog begins at 8 a.m. at the stretch deck near the tennis courts in Memorial Park. Beginners, intermediates and advanced runners are welcome. This run also ends in brunch at a nearby restaurant. Visit meetup.com/ runners-in-the-loop.
5K Wellness Run in the Heights begins at 8 a.m. Sunday at the University of Houston Downtown Daly parking lot and travels the paved Heights Hike & Bike Trail. Participants can run the course without preregistration, but preregistration (which is free) is required for the event to be chip timed. Visit meetup.com/ runners-in-the-loop.
Houston Area Trail Runners head for the ant hills in Terry Hershey Park at 6 a.m. Sunday. Meeting place is at 1001 Dairy Ashford Rd. Visit meetup. com/Houston-Area-Trail-Runners.
TENNIS
Rice men’s tennis team has added two players to its roster for the spring season, which opens Jan. 14. Conrad Russell of Palo Alto, Calif., and Sumit Sarkar of New York City have joined the Owls. Russell won the singles title at the USTA National Level 2 Tournament in Tucson in July and was the top ranked 18-and-under player in the Northern California Section. He was ranked as high as 37th nationally in the 18s this past year. Sarkar competed for the Collegiate School in New York City for three years before completing his education at The Dwight School while competing in ITF junior events. He has posted a 28-21 record in singles and a 29-19 mark in doubles this year while rising to his current ITF ranking of 125. He recently reached the semifinals of the ITF Orange Bowl International in doubles. Adam Oscislawski of Scottsdale, Ariz., will join the team for the following season. He is currently the second-ranked player in Arizona and twelfth in the southwest region and is ranked No. 66 nationally by TennisRecruiting.net.
Katy Challenger one- and twoday tournaments begin Saturday at Willow Fork Country Club. The oneday tournament is for 10-and-unders, and the two-day is for juniors 12 to 18. Contact wfts@willowforktennisshop.com.
Registration deadline for the Jan. 20-21 Lost Forest Adult Open tournament is Thursday. Contact jennifersmith64@hotmail.com.
HTA Spring League team registration deadline is Friday. Contact ann.w@houstontennis.org. Terry St. John is a Texas Sports Nation contributor.