Prize money will be given to winners of the Prairie Farms Quick Bix

For the first time ever, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 will offer prize money for the male and female winners of the Prairie Farms Quick Bix, the 2-mile alternative to the massive 7-mile race that has been run on the streets of Davenport for more than a half century.

The first man and first woman to cross the finish line in the Quick Bix each will pocket $500. It pales in comparison to the $50,000 purse for the main race, but it’s a decent chunk of change.

Hird, a 30-year-old Rock Island native who now lives in Naperville, Ill., has had the fastest time in the Quick Bix each of the past two years so it’s easy to understand why he was pleased.

“I kind of wish they’d had it the last couple of years,’’ he said. “Any opportunity to make money on a local road race, I’m going to do it.’’

In most years, only about 10-percent of Bix entrants run the Quick Bix, but Hird figures that number could be inflated now.

“It will persuade some other guys who would always be doing the 7-mile to do it,’’ he predicted.

When the Quick Bix began in 1999, it was intended as an option for the infirm, inexperienced and unfit, a way to attract runners and walkers who might not ordinarily participate in Bix weekend.

Instead of turning right onto Kirkwood Boulevard at the top of the Brady Street Hill, Bix entrants could turn a block earlier, go over a block, then zip right back down the hill on Perry Street and finish their abbreviated race on 4th Street. It was less intense, less exhausting than the main Bix 7 race.

“It used to be a fun run or it’s an alternative if you don’t feel like going the full 7,’’ said Bix 7 race director Michelle Juehring. “But it’s turned into more than that. We’ve got people running it hard now …

“People are running it fast,’’ she added, “so we’re going to honor the people who are making it a hard race.’’

The change has been applauded by many.

“I think that’s a good thing. I think it will be very dramatic …,’’ said legendary marathoner Bill Rodgers, who has run the 7-mile race 44 times. “That’s a great downhill … You’ll see some great races now out of the Quick Bix.’’

Rodgers added that the advent of prize money is “going to elevate it and make it more of a duel type race.’’

Hird has run the Bix about 20 times and he almost always has done the 7-mile race. A member of arguably the Quad-Cities’ most noteworthy running family, he won the Greg Newell Trophy as the top local finisher in the 7-mile race in 2018 and 2019. His brothers, Tim and Nathaniel, also have won the Newell. Tim did it three times.

But the past two years, Zach hasn’t been at his best on Bix weekend. He was nursing a hamstring injury in 2024, but he gutted out the Quick Bix, finishing in 9 minutes, 48 seconds. Last year, he was in a wedding in Milwaukee on Friday night, but didn’t want to completely miss the Bix.

He didn’t get to bed until after 1 a.m., caught a couple of hours sleep, drove three hours and planned to just hop out of the car, throw on his running shoes and scoot to the starting line.

“I was expecting to literally pull up and my warmup was going to be the jog to the line,’’ he said.

He arrived and found that the start of the race was delayed for an hour because of thunderstorms, which allowed him to at least catch his breath.

He still wasn’t feeling great. But, bleary-eyed, leg-weary and sleep-deprived, he managed to whip through two miles in 10:05. Keelee Leitzen of Dubuque, who was the winner of the Bix 7 High School Challenge in 2024, was the women’s Quick Bix winner in 11:26.

Hird is going to be in much better shape this time. He’s healthy enough to do 7 miles, but he admitted the advent of reachable prize money has him leaning toward doing the Quick Bix. He probably won’t decide for sure which distance he is running until the morning of the race.

“I’m getting close to being fully healthy again,’’ he said. “I’ve been pushing the envelope the last few weeks … Ultimately, I know I need to be able to hurt for about 9 ½ minutes. That would hopefully be the goal. It’s kind of worth it for 500 bucks.’’