Tour die Kapellen
About this race
The Tour die Kapellen (Tour of the Chapels) was organized in 2019 as a joint venture between four rural communities in the Ellis County area along with members of the Hays Symphony and Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau. Through the efforts of volunteers from Hays Area Bicyclists, Catherine, Victoria, Pfeifer, Munjor, Schoenchen, Antonino, Walker and the Fort Hays State Music Department, the event has become a popular, uniquely supported, organized cycling ride. The event celebrates the Volga-German heritage in the Ellis County area, as riders visit historic limestone churches, experience the ethnic culture, and listen to professional musicians at each venue – all through a commute on cycle. The solitude of the open, rural terrain is an added bonus for anyone hoping to escape a hectic, daily routine. The small town, midwest friendliness is unforgettable to all visiting Ellis County. In 2022, the Bus Tour was added to accommodate the non-cyclists traveling to Hays.
Pick your distance
Cycling
15 Mile Ride - 1 Chapel
The 15 Mile Ride is a guided ride with no rider left behind. Riders will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the shelter house of Municipal park. From there the group will pedal to St. Francis Church in Munjor, led by experienced cyclists, Kathy Rome and Susan Bowles. The terrain is flat. You will be greeted at the Munjor church with sounds from the Hays Symphony principal cellist, Ben Cline. After visiting the church and refreshments, the cyclists head back as a group to attend the after-ride party. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags.
30 Mile Ride - 2 Chapels
This route begins at Municipal Park, (Optional stop at St. Joseph Church to hear pipe organist, Tom Meagher). Ride continues on asphalt to Catherine, Victoria and back to Hays. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags.
52 Mile Ride - 3 Chapels
This intermediate route departs Municipal Park (Optional stop at St. Joseph Church to hear pipe organist, Tom Meagher), continues on to Catherine, then Victoria and head to the ornately Gothic, sculpted Holy Cross Shrine in Pfeifer. You will hear a violin solo as Hays Symphony Conductor Brian Buckstead plays this acoustic gem. You will marvel at the details in the carved craftsmanship. There are restrooms open in the school next to the church. Deb Hoffman, a Pfeifer native, is providing tours; meet locals Patty and Janice hosting the SAG. There is one short (1/2 mile) incline at 3.7% grade; otherwise, the terrain is relatively flat. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags. From this church, the route takes you back to Hays.
62 mile, Metric Century - 4 Chapels
The Metric Century Route begins at Municipal Park, (Optional stop at St. Joseph Church to hear pipe organist, Tom Meagher). Ride continues on asphalt to Catherine, Victoria, Pfeifer, Munjor and back to Hays. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags.
75 Mile - 5 Chapels
The Advanced Road Ride has options of 75 or 100 miles. This continues on to the German villages of Schoenchen and Antonino. The churches will be open; however, after the Munjor stop, these distances are self-supported. There is a Saturday Mass at Antonino at 4:00. You are welcome to attend, however, we ask that you not enter during the service. I
100 mile, Gran Fondo - 6 Chapels
RIDERS ON THIS ROUTE may opt to self start prior to group start from Municipal Park. The TdK Gran Fondo begins at Municipal Park, (Optional stop at St. Joseph Church to hear pipe organist, Tom Meagher). Ride continues on asphalt to Catherine, Victoria, Pfeifer, Munjor, Schoenchen, Antonino and back to Hays. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags. RIDERS ON THIS ROUTE may opt to self start prior to group start from Municipal Park.
54 Mile Mixed Surface
The Mixed Surface Route (54- miles) is 27 miles of gravel, 27 miles of asphalt. This ride commences with the group at 7:00 a.m. Local cycle enthusiast, Ron Leiker, will join the group to answer any questions or give updates on route changes. The route covers rolling terrain – dirt, sand, washboard, chalk, possibly mud roads. This is coordinated to arrive at the four churches in the window of time that the musicians are playing. It includes the post-ride German meal with live music, T-shirt and the Swag Bags.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 13 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Hays, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:21 AM and sets at 9:04 PM local time (CDT) in Hays on July 11, 2026 — 14h 42m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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2026 results — Tour die Kapellen
226 finishers across 7 distances · leading places in the 15 Mile Ride - 1 Chapel
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandi Niblock | 1:49:03 | 7:16 /mi |
| 2 | Bristol Niblock | 1:49:05 | 7:16 /mi |
| 3 | Tim Hammye | 1:55:33 | 7:42 /mi |
| 4 | Glori Hammye | 1:55:45 | 7:43 /mi |
| 5 | S. Kraus | 1:55:46 | 7:43 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 4 Hays events
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