51st Bix 7 Draws Thousands Up Brady Street as Rain Thins Spectators

Q: What secret strategy allowed Kelsey Allbaugh to conquer Brady Street Hill and outpace international elite runners for the grand prize?

There was no hidden training trick disclosed. The edge that allowed Kelsey Allbaugh to beat the elite field was the Beat the Elite format itself: she was given a calculated head start based on her previous race times, and she reached the finish line before the first elite runner to claim the $2,500 prize. That competition is designed to give a strong local runner a chance against the international elite by adjusting the start gap to past performances. KWQC’s pre-race coverage identified Allbaugh and Phil Young as the 2026 Beat the Elite runners and said both would receive a head start; if they finished ahead of the first elite runner, they would win the bonus. Allbaugh still had to execute on a difficult course. The Bix 7 begins at the base of Brady Street Hill, one of the race’s defining climbs, and runs seven miles through Davenport with another major hill, summer conditions, and heavy competition. So while the head start was the key competitive mechanism, beating the elites still required a fast, disciplined effort over a demanding route. In short, the “secret strategy” was not secret at all: it was a time-based handicap built into Beat the Elite, combined with Allbaugh’s strong run on race day.

Q: How did a 1975 tribute to a jazz legend evolve into an elite road race drawing thousands to Davenport's grueling hills?

It became the Quad-City Times Bix 7 by growing from a small 1975 memorial run into a nationally recognized road race that fused Davenport’s civic pride, Bix Beiderbecke’s hometown legacy and high-level competition. The race was founded in 1975 by Bettendorf resident John Hudetz as a tribute to Davenport-born jazz cornetist Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke, whose music helped shape early jazz. What began with just 84 entries was timed to the city’s annual celebration of Beiderbecke and quickly became more than a memorial: it turned into a signature summer event tied to local identity. Its rise was driven by the course itself and the festival atmosphere around it. The seven-mile, USATF-certified out-and-back route starts at the base of steep Brady Street Hill and includes another punishing climb, giving the race a reputation for difficulty. At the same time, crowds, live bands, downtown street life and a large post-race party made it unusually spectator-friendly and community-centered. That combination helped the Bix attract elite runners and national attention. It has been listed by Runner’s World among top U.S. races, hosted major championship competition, and built out a full “Bix Week” with the Senior Bix, Brady Street Sprints, Junior Bix and Quick Bix. Today it draws thousands of runners and tens of thousands of spectators, preserving its original tribute to Beiderbecke while functioning as one of America’s most storied non-marathon road races.

3 articles · Updated · Muscatine Journal · Jul 24

Thousands of runners and walkers still climbed Brady Street in Davenport on Saturday as the 51st Quad-City Times Bix 7 went ahead in steady rain.
Rain fell throughout the seven-mile race, keeping many spectators home even as photographers, police and a smaller group of fans lined the course with umbrellas.
Elite runners led the field up the signature hill before the larger mass of participants followed, with costumed entrants, families and older runners adding to the event's broad turnout.
Bill Rodgers, a Bix legend, chose not to run in the wet conditions and said he would head to a bike trail later after the rain stopped.
The race remains a marquee Davenport tradition centered on Brady Street Hill, with a later report saying the event drew thousands again and included elite and Beat the Elite competitions.