COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Pelotonia ride is back and fully in action this weekend, with more than 6,500 riders taking to trails ranging from 20 miles to 200 miles Saturday and Sunday, all with one goal in mind: Cycling for a good cause.

“We’ve seen an increase in ridership this year,” said Pelotonia Vice President for Community Engagement and Partnerships Eric Olsavsky. “We’re up about 10 percent over last year and fundraising is up as well. We’re at nearly $13 million already this year.”

This year marked the 14th annual Pelotonia ride, an event that raises money for cancer research, a cause that is important for many of the riders.

“Whether they’re riding 20 miles or 200 miles through Sunday, the emotion that comes through as they cross that finish line, cause, you know, that they’re riding for someone,” Olsavsky said. “It’s just something that you can’t duplicate.”

Cancer survivors like Evan DeCarlo, 15, take part in the ride, getting support all along the way.

“My favorite part is definitely seeing everybody else on the side of the road,” he said. “It makes me feel appreciated and feels like I’m doing a good thing.”

It takes just about 3,000 volunteers to make the ride happen, volunteers like Suzanne Knotts. An employee for the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Knotts said she has seen first-hand how funds from the ride help patients.

“I get to meet patients that are directly impacted,” she said. “I’ve actually had friends that are, you know, survivors now because of the research that we’ve done with Pelotonia.”

The last half of the ride is scheduled for Sunday, with some of the riders taking time to stop overnight before continuing on the trek.

Anyone who wants to contribute to Pelotonia’s efforts to raise funds for cancer research can do so by clicking here.