The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultra marathon bicycle race across the United States that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race.
RAAM is among the best-known and longest annual endurance events in the world. All entrants must prove their abilities by competing in any of several qualifying events, completing a course within a specified time period. RAAM is sanctioned by the UMCA.[1]
RAAM has been compared to the Tour de France, yet the races differ to a great extent. Both races' courses have varied over their history. However, in the Race Across America the direction has always been from the West Coast to the East Coast of the United States, approximately 3,000 miles (4,800 km) in about a week, making it a transcontinental event. A typical course might be from Oceanside, California, to Atlantic City, New Jersey. In contrast, the Tour de France is about 2,300 miles long, features a different route each year, and is run over the course of about 3 weeks because it is divided into shorter daily stages.
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The Great American Bike Race was originally organized by John Marino in 1982. There were four competitors, John Marino, John Howard, Michael Shermer, and Lon Haldeman. The concept caught on and the event grew bigger every year. The name would change and riders from around the world would compete. In 1989 a team division was added in which HPVs and faired bikes were allowed and records were shattered. The original course started in Santa Monica, California and finished at the Empire State Building in New York City. Haldeman won. The race was televised on ABC's Wide World of Sports through 1986.
1982 race:
| Finish | Winner | Home | Time | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lon Haldeman | Harvard, IL | 9d 20h 02m | 12.57 mph |
| 2 | John Howard | Houston, TX | 10d 10h 59m | 11.83 mph |
| 3 | Michael Shermer | Tustin, CA | 10d 19h 54m | 11.42 mph |
| 4 | John Marino | Irvine, CA | 12d 07h 37m | 10.04 mph |
In 1989 the race added a four-man team division[2] in which they could choose to ride together or take turns, thus enabling faster speeds with longer rest periods. In 2006 the race format changed with the addition of a Solo Enduro division in which riders rest off the bike for a total of 40 hours at specified points across the country. The 40 hours are deducted from a rider's total time at the end of the race. These changes were made to improve safety and shift the emphasis to long-distance riding speed and away from the capacity to endure sleep deprivation. The Enduro Division no longer exists, though. The Solo Traditional division still measures lowest elapsed time from west coast to east coast. The official winner is the one in the Solo.
The solo division of the 2009 race began on June 17 in Oceanside, California. Teams start on June 20. The finish line was once again in Annapolis, Maryland.
The race is held in several divisions. In 2008 those were:
There have been two fatalities in the race's history. In 2003, team rider Brett Malin was killed when he was hit by an 18-wheel tractor-trailer outside Pie Town, New Mexico.[3] In 2005, solo participant Bob Breedlove was killed in a collision with an oncoming vehicle near Trinidad, Colorado. Details are sketchy because he was by himself (his support crew was a few miles behind) and the only witnesses were in the vehicle that collided with him. Outside magazine investigated the crash in its November 2006 issue.[4]
Unlike most multi-day bicycle races such as the Tour de France, RAAM has no stages. There is no specified distance to travel each day. Until recently, there were no designated rest periods for food and sleep (sleep was optional). The clock runs continuously from start to finish as in a Time Trial. The final overall finish time includes rest periods. The winner is he or she who can ride the fastest while also making fewer and shorter stops. The winner usually finishes in eight to nine days, after riding approximately 22 hours per day through the varied terrain of the US. The recent addition of the team division has enabled finish times in the realm of six to seven days. Each racer has a support crew that follows in vehicles to provide food, water, mechanical repairs and medical aid. During the night, a vehicle with flashing lights is required to follow the rider to ensure safety.
Having to ride continuously for days with little to no sleep puts this event in the ultramarathon category. The continuous physical output places considerable strain on the competitors as well as their support crews. As many as 50% of solo participants drop out due to exhaustion or for medical reasons. In addition, the race takes place on open roads, forcing participants to deal with sometimes dangerous traffic conditions. On June 16, 2010, participant Diego Ballesteros Cucurull of Spain was critically injured when he was struck by a car near Wichita, Kansas.[5] A little less than one month later, Ballesteros was home in Spain and undergoing rehabilitation. He is paralyzed from the waist down, but hopes to walk again one day.[6][7]
Because the course has varied, performances are not comparable. Records are usually recorded in average speed, not total time, to account in part for the different course lengths. The fastest men's speed was by Pete Penseyres in 1986, when he rode 3107 miles (5000 km) at 15.40 mph (24.8 km/h) in 8 days, 9 hours, and 47 minutes.[8] The fastest woman was Seana Hogan in 1995, who averaged 13.23 mph (21.3 km/h) to finish 2912 miles (4686 km) in 9 days, 4 hours, 2 minutes. The fastest eight-person team was established by Team Type 1 in 2009. The squad of riders who all have type 1 diabetes completed 3,021 miles in 5 days, 9 hours and 5 minutes. The shortest elapsed time for a crossing was outside an official RAAM, by Michael Secrest in 1990, in 7 days 23 hours.
Traditionally RAAM is a solo competitor event – a non-stop individual time trial. In 1989 for the first time, teams were allowed to enter in a new HPV (Human Powered Vehicle) category.[2] Race organizers called it the Human Powered Vehicle Race Across America. HPV RAAM was slated as a platform for technology advancement in cycling aerodynamics and human powered propulsion, but it also paved the way for team competition thereafter. Favored to win, Team Gold Rush led most of the way but did not finish. First, second and third places went to Team Lightning, Team Cronos and Team Strawberry respectively. Team Lightning set the overall fastest RAAM time of 5 days, 1 hour, 8 minutes, and average speed of 24.1 mph, records which still stand over 2 decades later.[9] In later years team members could ride together to take advantage of drafting, so times improved, but in the 1989 race there could only be one rider on the bike at a time.
The all-time record holder is the late Jure Robič of Slovenia who won the race five times. He was killed in September 2010 in a collision with a car while training for the Crocodile Trophy, the endurance mountain bike race held annually in Australia. He was the RAAM title-holder at the time of his death.
This is an all-time list of winners of Race Across America in Men's Solo category.[8]
| Year | Winner | Nationality | Route | Miles | Km | Time | Mph | Km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Lon Haldeman | United States | Santa Monica Pier, CA to Empire State Building, NY | 2,968 | 4,777 | 9 days 20 h 02 min | 12.6 | 20.3 |
| 1983 | Lon Haldeman | United States | Santa Monica Pier, CA to Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ | 3,170 | 5,100 | 10 days 16 h 29 min | 12.4 | 20.0 |
| 1984 | Pete Penseyres | United States | Huntington Beach, CA to Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ | 3,047 | 4,904 | 9 days 13 h 13 min | 13.3 | 21.4 |
| 1985 | Jonathan Boyer | United States | Huntington Beach, CA to Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ | 3,120 | 5,020 | 9 days 02 h 06 min | 14.3 | 23.0 |
| 1986 | Pete Penseyres | United States | Huntington Beach, CA to Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ | 3,107 | 5,000 | 8 days 09 h 47 min | 15.4 | 24.8 |
| 1987 | Michael Secrest | United States | San Francisco, CA to Washington Monument, DC | 3,127 | 5,032 | 9 days 11 h 35 min | 13.7 | 22.0 |
| 1988 | Franz Spilauer | Austria | San Francisco, CA to Washington Monument, DC | 3,073 | 4,946 | 9 days 07 h 09 min | 13.8 | 22.2 |
| 1989 | Paul Solon | United States | Fairgrounds, Irvine, CA to Battery Park, NY City, NY | 2,911 | 4,685 | 8 days 08 h 45 min | 14.5 | 23.3 |
| 1990 | Bob Fourney | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,930 | 4,720 | 8 days 11 h 26 min | 14.4 | 23.2 |
| 1991 | Bob Fourney | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,930 | 4,720 | 8 days 16 h 44 min | 14.0 | 22.5 |
| 1992 | Rob Kish | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,911 | 4,685 | 8 days 03 h 11 min | 14.9 | 24.0 |
| 1993 | Gerry Tatrai | Australia | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,910 | 4,680 | 8 days 20 h 19 min | 13.7 | 22.0 |
| 1994 | Rob Kish | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,901 | 4,669 | 8 days 14 h 25 min | 14.1 | 22.7 |
| 1995 | Rob Kish | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,912 | 4,686 | 8 days 19 h 59 min | 13.7 | 22.0 |
| 1996 | Daniel Chew | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,905 | 4,675 | 8 days 07 h 14 min | 14.6 | 23.5 |
| 1997 | Wolfgang Fasching | Austria | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 3,025 | 4,868 | 9 days 04 h 50 min | 13.7 | 22.0 |
| 1998 | Gerry Tatrai | Australia | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,906 | 4,677 | 8 days 11 h 22 min | 14.3 | 23.0 |
| 1999 | Danny Chew | United States | Holiday Inn, Irvine, CA to Rousakis Plaza, Savannah, GA | 2,938 | 4,728 | 8 days 7 h 34 min | 14.7 | 23.7 |
| 2000 | Wolfgang Fasching | Austria | Portland, Oregon to Pensacola Beach, Florida | 2,975.1 | 4,788.0 | 8 days 10 h 19 min | 14.7 | 23.7 |
| 2001 | Andrea Clavadetscher | Liechtenstein | Portland, Oregon to Pensacola Beach, Florida | 2,983.2 | 4,801.0 | 9 days 00 h 17 min | 13.8 | 22.2 |
| 2002 | Wolfgang Fasching | Austria | Portland, Oregon to Pensacola Beach, Florida | 2,991.9 | 4,815.0 | 9 days 03 h 38 min | 13.6 | 21.9 |
| 2003 | Allen Larsen | United States | San Diego, CA to Atlantic City, NJ | 2,921.7 | 4,702.0 | 8 days 23 h 36 min | 13.6 | 21.9 |
| 2004 | Jure Robič | Slovenia | San Diego, CA to Atlantic City, NJ | 2,958.5 | 4,761.2 | 8 days 09 h 51 min | 14.7 | 23.7 |
| 2005 | Jure Robič | Slovenia | San Diego, CA to Atlantic City, NJ | 3,051.7 | 4,911.2 | 9 days 8 h 48 min | 13.6 | 21.9 |
| 2006 | Daniel Wyss | Switzerland | Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ | 3,042.8 | 4,896.9 | 9 days 11 h 50 min | 13.4 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | Jure Robič | Slovenia | Oceanside, CA to Atlantic City, NJ | 3,042.8 | 4,896.9 | 8 days 19 h 33 min | 14.4 | 23.2 |
| 2008 | Jure Robič | Slovenia | Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD | 3,014.4 | 4,851.2 | 8 days 23 h 33 min | 14.0 | 22.5 |
| 2009 | Daniel Wyss | Switzerland | Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD | 3,021.3 | 4,862.3 | 8 days 5 h 45 min | 15.28 | 24.59 |
| 2010 | Jure Robič | Slovenia | Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD | 3,005.1 | 4,836.2 | 9 days 1 h 1 min | 13.85 | 22.29 |
| 2011 | Christoph Strasser | Austria | Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD | 2,989.5 | 4,811.1 | 8 days 8 h 6 min | 14.94 | 24.04 |