Marty Rides the Pan Mass Challenge

I had the opportunity to ride the new First segment of the PMC route with a small “test group”. 

It was a crisp sunny morning, so we had the weather in our favor.

Here is the video I put together of that test ride:

Here are my initial thoughts...

The First 3 Miles

The start isn't as scary as I had thought it would be. That being said, it will be crucial that riders exercise patience and control their speed on that initial descent. It is very important for riders to be smart about that first hairpin turn immediately after the starting line.

The transition to the road at the bottom should be fine as it is a shallow turn. 

The Start:

Riding through the next section of Worcester, it quickly transitions from city to suburban feel. 

At about mile 3, there is a large, sweeping rotary that immediately exits onto a steep, 1.2 mile climb up to the “Old Common” on a two lane road with no shoulder. The first section of the climb (.3 miles) starts off with a very steep grade.  This is comparable to the climb into Charlton, only much much earlier in the ride. It will get very crowded and bunched up. 

Mile 3 Rotary:

Mile 3 Climb (Strava Segment: "Greenwood Climb")

After that climb, the ride becomes a very rural ride with rolling hills. Once you start the long descent towards Route 146, you will pass by a number of old mill buildings.

The Double Rotaries at 146

The first rotary is simple as one can essentially ride a straight line through to the other side 

First Millbury Rotary:

Second Millbury Rotary:

The second rotary is an area of concern. It is small and very tight. The line through that rotary is sharp and narrow and probably could only handle 2 bikes abreast at the most.  There is also an exit immediately before the route that goes straight. I anticipate a number of riders taking that exit as a possible bail out or simply by mistake. 

Downtown Millbury 

This will be the first time the PMC has ridden through a downtown of this nature in my experience. If you hit the town center on the top of the hour, expect a loud foghorn to blow from the Fire Department.

Millbury to West Upton 

This is the best section of the new segment. The flat, rolling road is a joy to ride on. That is, until one makes that left turn on to Milford Road for the second big climb of the day. 

Milford Road Climb, Strava Segment "Suck it up until Buttercup"

The descent on the other side is straight and fast, and there are railroad tracks towards the bottom. 

West Upton to Miscoe Hill Middle School (Strava Segment)

Another long, gradual climb into the first PMC water stop of the day at Miscoe Hill Middle School. This feels like a never ending slog and one is happy to see that “School Zone” sign right before the rest stop.

Riding into Miscoe Hill Middle School

I hope this preview is helpful.

Every year before the Pan-Mass Challenge, I spend some time updating the ribbons on my helmet.

Each ribbon represents someone I ride for. A survivor. A fighter. Someone we've lost. Someone still in treatment. Someone whose life has been touched by cancer.

This year, I'm adding eleven more ribbons.

One is for our new Pedal Partner, Finn, a young boy currently undergoing treatment for leukemia.

Others honor an elementary school friend's mother, another friend's younger brother, my daughter's Special Olympics coach who is currently battling cancer, and a college friend whose passing from cancer I learned about shortly after last year's PMC.

Another ribbon is for a fellow PMC rider whose family's connection to this disease spans generations of riders and loved ones.

As friends, family members, donors, and fellow riders continue to share their stories, the list keeps growing.

With these additions, my helmet now carries 66 ribbons representing 68 people. And honestly, I know there are more names that belong there.

The list is too long.

Too many diagnoses. Too many treatments. Too many families whose lives have been turned upside down.

And yet, there is also hope.

Hope in the researchers working every day at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Hope in new treatments. Hope in survivors. Hope in communities like the Pan-Mass Challenge that refuse to accept cancer as inevitable.

This August, I'll ride my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge carrying these ribbons and the stories behind them for ~175 miles across Massachusetts.

I ride because every ribbon represents someone who deserves better treatments, more time, and ultimately a cure.

If you'd like to support my ride and help fund cancer research at Dana-Farber, you can contribute here:

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for helping turn hope into progress.

Thanks in advance,

Martin Middelmann

This past Memorial Day weekend, we invited some neighbors over for a cookout. I spent the afternoon grilling BBQ ribs while my wife made a raspberry rhubarb biscuit cobbler using rhubarb from our garden. It was one of those simple evenings that remind you how important community and friendship really are.

Our Rhubarb!

What made the gathering especially meaningful was having one neighbor there who recently battled cancer and is still recovering from the fight. During the evening, he shared stories about a support group he joined with others who are currently fighting cancer or who have survived it themselves. Listening to him talk about the encouragement, understanding, and connection that group provides was incredibly moving.

It was also a powerful reminder of why I continue to ride the Pan-Mass Challenge and raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where my neighbor received his treatment.

Cancer research is not abstract. It impacts people we know, families we care about, and neighbors sitting beside us at backyard cookouts. The work being done at Dana-Farber gives people hope, more time, and better outcomes.

https://pmc.org/mm0373

This August, I’ll be riding in my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge. Thanks to generous support, I’m already making progress toward my $14,000 fundraising goal for 2026, but there is still a long road ahead.

If you would like to support my ride and help fund lifesaving research and patient care at Dana-Farber, you can donate here:

Thank you for continuing to support this mission and for helping make moments like these possible for more families.

Sincerely,

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to reach out to those who have supported my Pan-Mass Challenge rides in past years but may not yet have had a chance to donate for 2026.

I’ve officially begun fundraising for my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge, and thanks to early support, I’m already at 25% of my $14,000 goal. There’s still a long road ahead, but the early momentum has been encouraging.

This year, the PMC announced a record-breaking fundraising goal of $79 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It’s an ambitious number, but the need has never been greater.

With cuts to federal cancer research funding continuing to impact institutions across the country, organizations like Dana-Farber rely more heavily on philanthropy to continue lifesaving work. Research that changes lives depends on sustained investment.

Recently, Dana-Farber researcher Dr. Stuart Orkin received the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for work that helped pave the way for transformative treatments for blood disorders. It’s a powerful reminder that today’s research funding becomes tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

Stuart Orkin, MD, and fellow award winner Investigator SweeLay Thein, Investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

That is why this year’s PMC theme resonates so strongly:

“Now More Than Ever.”

If you’ve been considering supporting my ride this year, Memorial Day weekend feels like a fitting time to recommit to causes that matter deeply. Every donation goes directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fund cancer research and patient care.

You can support my ride here:

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for your past generosity, encouragement, and continued support of this mission.

Sincerely,

Martin Middelmann 18-Year PMC Rider

My 2026 Fundraising Goal: $14,000

Raised for 2026: $3,655

Number of Donors: 27

Corporate Matches/Pledges: $200

This past Saturday, several of my PHAT Tuesday teammates and I attended the PMC Pedal Partner event at Fenway Park, where we had the opportunity to meet our team’s 2026 Pedal Partner, Finn, and his family.

Finn is 9 years old and lives in Plymouth with his parents, Caity and Dan, and his younger brother Harry. In December of 2024, just 10 days before Christmas, Finn was diagnosed with T-Cell Leukemia. He is now about five months into a two-year treatment plan.

Despite everything he’s facing, Finn is still very much a kid. He loves Legos, Star Wars, arts and crafts, and proudly rocked a mullet before treatment began. In fact, one of his biggest worries after diagnosis was learning that treatment would cause him to lose his hair. Meeting him in person this weekend was a powerful reminder of exactly why we ride.

Doctors have told Finn’s family that he has a good prognosis, and that gives all of us hope. But hope alone is not enough. The treatments, research, and care that families like Finn’s rely on are only possible because people choose to support organizations like the Pan-Mass Challenge and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This August, I’ll be riding my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge to help fund that lifesaving work. Every mile I ride will be for Finn, for families like his, and for everyone fighting cancer.

If you’d like to support my ride, you can donate here:

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for continuing to be part of this journey and for helping bring hope to families who need it most.

Sincerely,

I came across this sign on a recent ski trip with some of my PMC PHAT Tuesday teammates:

“Don’t regret growing old. It’s a privilege denied to many.”

It stopped me in my tracks.

One of the reasons I ride the Pan-Mass Challenge each year is because cancer takes that privilege away far too often. It cuts lives short. It takes parents from children, friends from each other, and futures that should have been.

This year marks my 18th PMC ride, and I’m already off to a strong start with $1,250 raised toward my $14,000 goal.

Every dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fund the research that gives people more time: more birthdays, more ski trips, more moments like this.

If this message resonates with you, I’d be grateful for your support.

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Now more than ever.

While the bike rests and the snow piles up outside, the mission doesn’t pause. January is when the work begins again. Soon I will be gearing up for my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge. Training will come, warmer days will return, and when they do, I’ll be ready to ride once more for Dana-Farber.

Now more than ever, the fight continues.

I’m excited to share that I have officially registered for my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge. Each year I wonder if the ride will feel any different, and each year I’m reminded why this community, and this cause, mean so much to me.

Because of your incredible generosity, last year we raised $13,500 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, surpassing my goal even with fewer donors than in years past. That support made a real impact, and I’m deeply grateful. For 2026, I’m setting my sights higher with a fundraising goal of $14,000.

As I look ahead to this ride, I’m carrying with me the stories and names of people affected by cancer. Over the past year, I learned that two friends were diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, both are currently battling successfully. During last PMC weekend, I also learned that a college friend passed away from cancer. His ribbon will join others on my headgear in 2026, a visible reminder of why we ride and who we ride for.

Now More Than Ever!

This year’s PMC theme, “Now More Than Ever,” could not be more fitting. As PMC Founder Billy Starr recently shared with the rider community, the stakes for cancer research are especially high right now. Significant cuts in federal funding have hit Massachusetts cancer research hard. Nearly half of recently terminated National Cancer Institute grants were supporting Massachusetts-based research. That represents hundreds of millions of dollars no longer funding basic science, supporting young investigators, or sustaining lifesaving clinical trials.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is Dana-Farber’s single largest donor. The funds raised by PMC riders do not sit on the sidelines. They go directly to work in labs, clinics, and trials that save lives. When federal support falters, the PMC community steps up. That’s why what we do together truly matters, now more than ever.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me year after year. I hope you’ll continue to follow along, cheer loudly, and, when the time is right, consider supporting my 18th ride as we work toward a $14,000 goal and continued progress against cancer.

Please donate here: Marty's PMC Profile Page

As we turn the page on 2025, I’m filled with gratitude and pride. Thanks to your generosity and support, this past PMC season was truly record-breaking. Together we raised $13,500 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Every donation, message of encouragement, and shared mile made a real difference, and I’m endlessly thankful to each of you who stood behind my ride.

Cancer doesn’t take a year off, and neither does the need for research, care, and hope. That’s why this year’s PMC theme, “Now more than Ever!”, resonates so deeply. With uncertainty around funding for cancer research, your support matters more than ever, right now and for the future.

Looking ahead to 2026, I’m excited and a little amazed to be gearing up for my 18th Pan-Mass Challenge ride. I’ll be officially registering for the ride in about a week, and I’ll be riding with renewed purpose and an ambitious goal of $14,000, carrying with me the names, stories, and strength of everyone we ride for.

If you’d like to follow along or get an early start on supporting my 2026 ride, my fundraising page is here:

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for making 2025 unforgettable. Here’s to a hopeful, healthy New Year and to riding forward together, now more than ever.

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news, thanks to your incredible generosity, I’ve officially raised $13,500 for the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge in support of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute!​

When I set my original goal at $12,000, it already felt ambitious. But this year, the response was overwhelming. Every donation, every word of encouragement, every show of support helped push me past my goal, and then some.

Together, we’re funding the research that saves lives, supports families, and fuels the breakthroughs of tomorrow. And in a year when government funding for cancer research continues to decline, your contributions mean more than ever.

This marks my 17th year riding in the PMC, and I continue to be inspired by this community, riders, volunteers, donors, and patients, who remind me every day why we ride.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being part of this journey and for helping me make a real impact in the fight against cancer.

As the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge fundraising season comes to a close, I’m making one last push to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Thanks to so many generous donors, I’m just $400 away from reaching a new milestone: $13,000 raised this year.

Your support matters now more than ever. With government funding for cancer research in steep decline, only a fraction of grant applications are being funded, the dollars we raise through the PMC are essential to keeping research moving forward. Every gift helps fuel breakthroughs, provide hope, and change lives.

If you’ve already donated this year, thank you for being part of this mission. If not, now is the perfect time to help me close the gap and finish strong.

Donate here: https://donate.pmc.org/mm0373

Together, we’re making sure that progress doesn’t stall, and that hope never fades.

Fall is right around the corner, and the 2025 Pan-Mass Challenge is already fading into the past. But the impact of this ride, and your support, continues long after the miles are behind us.

This year has been one of my strongest fundraising seasons yet. I’ve raised more than $12,300, and now I’m less than $700 away from reaching a new milestone: $13,000 for cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

If you’re receiving this email, chances are you’ve supported my ride before, in fact, almost 50 of you have donated in the past two years alone. Your generosity has fueled progress, provided hope, and made every mile count.

If you haven’t yet made your 2025 gift, now is the perfect time to help me cross this final stretch.

Please donate here: https://donate.pmc.org/mm0373

I'd like to once again thank all those who supported my Pan-Mass Challenge ride this year. Normally I wouldn’t reach out again so soon. But this year is different.

One of my PMC teammates was recently diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Despite this devastating news, he still rode the Pan-Mass Challenge alongside us. His courage and determination inspire me every day.

On September 20th, our team will ride once again, this time in the Ride to Defeat ALS, in his honor and for all those battling this disease.

If you are able, I’d be grateful for your support once more. Every donation helps fuel critical research, patient care, and hope for those living with ALS.

Marty's ALS Ride Page

Thank you for standing with me, and with my teammate. in this fight.

You’ve supported my Pan-Mass Challenge ride in past years, and I can’t thank you enough for being part of this journey. Once again, I’m riding to raise funds for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and there’s still time to make your 2025 gift.

This year, your support matters more than ever. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has drastically cut funding for cancer research. In fact, only about 4% of cancer research grant applications are expected to be funded this year. That means many promising projects may not move forward without philanthropy like ours. The funds raised through the PMC are, quite literally, keeping research alive.

Thanks to incredible support, I’ve already surpassed my original goal of $12,000. But I’m not stopping here, let’s shoot for $13,000 together! Every dollar raised goes directly to Dana-Farber, accelerating breakthroughs and providing hope for patients and families.

There’s still time to donate, and your gift will go further than ever before.

https//pmc.org/mm0373

Together, we’re not just funding research, we’re defending hope.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is just about the best 2 days you can ever spend on a bike. I hope to share a taste of what it is like with the following videos that I captured on my GoPro MAX.

Enjoy!

2025 Pan-Mass Challenge, Day 1

2025 Pan-Mass Challenge, Day 2

If you haven't donated yet and are inspired to by these videos, the link is here:

https://pmc.org/mm0373

100% of every donation goes directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and supports cancer research & patient care.

Thank you for your support!

I’m thrilled to share that we hit my $12,000 Pan-Mass Challenge fundraising goal for 2025!

But here’s the thing, cancer doesn’t stop at a number. Every extra dollar we raise goes directly to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to fund life-saving research and patient care.

The deadline for 2025 totals is September 30, and I’d love to see just how far we can push this together. If you haven’t donated yet, or want to give again, now’s the perfect time.

Please donate here: 

https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for riding this journey with me! Your support means the world!

Marty

The Ride!

This past weekend, I completed my 17th Pan-Mass Challenge Ride — and what a ride it was.

The weather was as perfect as one could ever hope for, and though I got a late start to my training this year, I peaked just in time. After 2 days and 185 miles, I actually felt stronger at the finish line than I did at the start.

Ocean View Section; Wellfleet, MA (Non-cyclists feel free to skip to the next section ;-) )

There's one particular section that I find challenging: Ocean View Road in Wellfleet, and the subsequent descent on Long Pond Road.

There's a steep section at the beginning followed by rolling climb up to "The Beachcomber". After that there is a rolling descent down to the 3rd and last water stop on Day 2 with a few sections of climbing to keep one honest.

As we turned off the Cape Cod Rail Trail, I was chatting with one of my teammates about how I dreaded this upcoming section. I felt I hadn't trained enough this year and I was struggling with climbs. He told me I shouldn't worry and that it wasn't as difficult as I was making it out to be in my head.

I told him I was going to try and approach it smart. My goal wasn't to attack the hill, but rather, to maintain a steady level of effort at a good cadence, and see what happens.

So that's what I did.

I did good on the initial steep section. I maintained a good level of effort. I didn't burn myself out by sprinting up that section like I am typically tempted to do. Once I conquered the initial steep section, I found that I had plenty of energy & strength to tackle the rest of that rolling climb. I pressed on with a strong but measured effort. To my surprise I noticed that one of our stronger riders was drafting me up the hill. An even bigger surprise was finding out that I had set a personal record for that entire section without necessarily intending to!!!

I guess the change in tactics worked better than I could have imagined!

After conquering that section, my confidence level was high for the remaining 20 miles! I felt stronger in those last 20 miles than I did in the previous 165!

PMC Weekend Vibes

Every year, PMC weekend feels like a family reunion. I reconnect with riders I've known for over a decade, meet new faces, and find inspiration at every rest stop and finish line. It’s more than just a bike ride — it's a community powered by hope, determination, and a shared mission to fund life-saving cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Reasons to Ride in 2025

As I have mentioned previously, I had dedicated this year's ride to the memory of Eric Haberman. Eric passed away last November after being diagnosed with Colon Cancer.

Since January I have had more reasons to ride that I have kept to myself.

A friend from high school days is just beginning their journey with multiple cancer diagnosis and will be starting treatment soon.

A good neighbor has recently received a cancer diagnosis and has begun treatments at Dana-Farber.

A family member has also recently received a cancer diagnosis and is consulting with their team on next steps.

On Friday of PMC Weekend, I learned of another college friend who passed away earlier in July from cancer:

Frank White 9/8/1969 - 7/4/2025

So while PMC weekend was a joyous celebration of life and positivity, there are still those quiet, private moments of reflection. Reflection about those who are in the fight or have lost the battle. They are never too far from our thoughts.

Fundraising Update

Thanks to the generosity of so many, my fundraising is going strong — but I still have a long list of past donors I haven’t heard from yet. If you’re one of them, now is a great time to renew your support.

I’ll be fundraising until the end of September, when rider totals are finalized for 2025. Every dollar helps, and 100% of your donation goes directly to Dana-Farber.

Donate here: https://pmc.org/mm0373

Thank you for being part of this journey — whether you’ve supported me once or every year since the beginning. Together, we are making a difference.

Martin Middelmann 17-Year Rider | 185 Miles Strong | Goal: $12,000