Griffith Park turned into a moving tribute on Saturday morning as hundreds of runners and cyclists showed up for Finish the Ride/Finish the Run, honoring 36-year-old expectant mother Regan Cole Graham, who was killed while biking in Playa Del Rey in January. The weekend event mixed family-friendly races, a safety expo, and emotional testimony from loved ones who want City Hall and drivers to move much faster on safer street design and better behavior behind the wheel.
Regan's sister, Caitlin Cole, called the loss "traumatic" for the family and said she plans to ride her sister's blue bike in Griffith Park to finish the ride Regan never got to complete, according to ABC7. Organizers said the Finish the Run portion on May 2 packed in a 1K kids and puppy run along with 5K, 10K, 15K, and half-marathon distances, all part of a weekend designed to braid together memorials and on-the-ground advocacy for safer streets.
Crash In Playa Del Rey
In January, Regan Cole Graham and her unborn daughter, Ophelia, were killed when an 87-year-old driver hit her from behind on Pershing Drive, according to CBS Los Angeles. Family accounts and local coverage say she had been riding an e-bike with her husband and their two young sons. Police said the driver stayed at the scene and that impairment was not suspected.
Why Finish The Ride Matters
Finish the Ride grew out of founder Damian Kevitt's own nightmare in 2013, when a Griffith Park hit-and-run cost him a leg. What started as a personal mission has turned into an annual series that now works as both fundraiser and pressure campaign, pushing for policy changes and support for people whose lives have been upended by traffic violence, according to the group's account.
Streets Are For Everyone says proceeds from the events fuel advocacy, public education and direct services for crash victims and their families. The two-day weekend in Griffith Park featured Sunday rides of 12, 20, 35, 50, 62 and 100 miles, along with a full slate of run distances on Saturday. Registration details and route maps are posted on the event's RunSignUp page, which also lists the Autry Museum as the finish line and highlights an on-site safety expo aimed at participants of all ages.
National Context
The timing lines up with National Bike Month in May, as designated by the League of American Bicyclists. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that 1,166 bicyclists were killed on U.S. roads in 2023, the highest number since federal recordkeeping began, a grim statistic organizers say underscores the need for protected bike lanes and tougher enforcement. The data are available through GHSA.
For those gathered in Griffith Park, that urgency is deeply personal. Organizers said memorializing Regan and Ophelia is about turning grief into change. "We all deserve to be able to come home," Caitlin Cole told ABC7, explaining that riding her sister's blue bike through the park is both a private tribute and a very public reminder that policymakers and drivers are still on the clock.
