CowaLUNGa® FAQ

Your nervousness is completely understandable! Respiratory Health Association (RHA) has hosted 29 successful bike tours and will be there to help you along the way. You’ll receive lots of support throughout the ride. Safety and Gear (SAG) drivers patrol the route in case you need a ride or other assistance. Mobile bike shops are available for on-the-road repairs. Medical volunteers keep an eye on our riders and remind everyone to stay hydrated. Veteran Cow riders will also support you every mile. As a new rider, your custom fanny flag (like a bike license plate) will identify you as a first time rider with one large Bessie Cow sticker.  Likewise, all fanny flags will be marked with Bessie Cow stickers to represent each year ridden. We supply food, arrange overnight accommodations, transport your gear, and get you and your bike back to the start line location. RHA even provides pre-ride training opportunities and fundraising coaching. We make available all the tools you need to have a successful and enjoyable experience.

Fundraising is required unless you are participating in the virtual ride only. Funds raised by CowaLUNGa riders support RHA’s mission to promote healthy lungs and clean air through education, research, and policy change. We’ve set reasonable minimums and have many past participants who’ve raised well above that amount. Review the requirements and deadlines and explore our fundraising support resources to help you reach your fundraising goals.

Please note: If you do not meet your fundraising minimum by the fundraising deadline, August 21, 2026, the credit card provided at the time of registration will be charged the difference between the current amount raised and the minimum required.  If the credit card information is not current when we charge, you will be notified to provide a valid credit card number. You are not allowed to participate in this year’s ride if you have not fulfilled the minimum pledge requirement from a past event.

Yes! The CowaLUNGa Charity Bike Tour hosts families with their young children, groups who register together, and individuals who ride alone. No matter who you are, you will meet lots of people with similar interests and by the time the ride is over, you’ll have many new friends. Everyone becomes part of the CowaLUNGa family (CowaLUNGa can even take credit for a number of marriages!).

Yes! Email SpecialEvents@RespHealth.org with the name of the team you’d like to join and we’ll get you added.

No! Online registration closes approximately 24 hours prior to event day. After that time, call (312) 243-2000 ext. 200 to check availability.

All CowaLUNGa fees and donations are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please let us know you will need to cancel your registration as soon as possible.

Full Climb Sponsored by Omron: 94 Floors – 1,632 Steps

Registration Fee: $55 – Fundraising Minimum: $150

Half Climb: 52 Floors – 816 Steps

Registration Fee: $35 – Fundraising Minimum: $100

Virtual Climb

Required Donation: $10

Virtual climbers who raise $100 or more will receive a Hustle Chicago t-shirt, bib, and commemorative medal.

Fundraising deadlines apply as follows:

• Team captains and members will be required to fundraise the minimum by February 7, 2025. If any team member has not met their minimum by this date, the card on file will be charged. This is to ensure all climb packets can be mailed to the team captain on time.
• Individual climbers will be required to fundraise the minimum by February 19, 2025. If the minimum has not been met by this date, the card on file will be charged.
  • If an individual participant has paid for their packet to be mailed, the fundraising minimum MUST be met before the packet can be mailed (February 7, 2025 deadline).

Want to climb with friends and family? Create a team! A $50 team fee (lowered in 2025!) paid by the team captain guarantees consecutive start times, a professional team photo, team awards (upon qualifying), and team packet delivery to the captain’s home.

Hustle Chicago® stair climb is Sunday, February 23, 2025. Hustle Chicago is typically the last Sunday in February each year.

The event takes place at 875 N. Michigan Ave. (former Hancock Center) to raise funds for Respiratory Health Association’s programs, which support people living with lung disease and promote clean air.

Although it’s not a race, there are hours in which you must finish the ride. These hours will be printed on your itinerary and your cue sheets, which are available at check-in on the first day of the ride. On Day 1, ride hours are from the 9 a.m. mass start until approximately 5:30 p.m. On Day 2, ride hours are from the opening time of breakfast until approximately 5 p.m. On Day 3, ride hours are from the opening time of breakfast until approximately 4:30 PM.

This is plenty of time to complete your daily ride in a leisurely fashion. If you leave before ride hours begin or finish after ride hours end, support services will not be available.

The event does go on, rain or shine. Though we generally experience great riding weather, it’s still summer in the Midwest. Be sure to bring rain gear just in case – check your list of things to pack for more information.  In cases of severe weather conditions (lightning, excessive heat) the event may be delayed and/or portions of the route may be closed. Potential weather issues will be communicated to all participants.

Our mobile volunteer medical team patrols the route and will be contacted in the event of an emergency. They will also be available before and after ride hours at our overnight sites. For non-medical emergencies, SAG vehicles are regularly patrolling the route as well and can provide help. If necessary, we will alert riders of information via text message, social media, email and on the ride at rest stops, sites and on the route.

All participants MUST carry a current driver’s license, state-issued ID, or student ID with them at all times. It’s important each rider can be easily identified if necessary. We also require each participant to submit emergency contact information upon registration. This information will be used only if necessary.

All participants are required to wear helmets at all times while on their bikes. Your safety is our number one concern so no helmet = no ride.

Riders are allowed to keep their bikes in their cabins at Conference Point Center on Night 1. On Night 2, riders can keep their bikes locked up in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s tennis courts. Bikes are not permitted in the dorms.

On Night 1, alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited at Conference Point. Riders are welcome to take the short walk into town if they’d like to enjoy an alcoholic beverage.

On Night 2, we will host a party in the Rec Center at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with beer and wine!

Ride with GPS is the preferred Cow app/tool and can be downloaded for free. RHA will provide the route 2-3 days prior to the ride.

Route information and a weekend itinerary will be provided at the start line when you check in on event day. A “cue sheet” is provided for both days of the ride, offering turn-by-turn directions and mileage for the route.

When you check in at the overnight location, you will receive a cue sheet for the next day’s route.

Along the route, green directional arrows are painted on the pavement and CowaLUNGa signs are placed for additional guidance. You will see an example of these arrows and signs at the start line check-in.

Lung Health Champions are a special group of riders who have committed and guaranteed to fundraise $1,000 each to support the CowaLUNGa Bike Tour and Respiratory Health Association. The deadline to fundraise $1,000 is three weeks after the Tour is over, August 22, 2025. Exclusive benefits are provided to Lung Health Champions.

Anyone can be a Lung Health Champion – all you have to do is sign up. Standard registration fees apply and are due at the time of registration.

Of course! Lung Health Champions can be individual riders, team captains or team members. There can also be multiple people on one team who are Lung Health Champions.

As a Lung Health Champion, you have committed and guaranteed to fundraise $1,000 by the fundraising deadline. RHA provides a comprehensive fundraising toolkit and all kinds of fundraising support to help you achieve this goal.

If you haven’t raised the $1,000 commitment by the fundraising deadline, you will be responsible for paying the balance due.