#RACE ACROSS AMERICA FULL#

The solo division of the most recent (2018) race began on June 12 in Oceanside, California teams started on June 16, 2018.

#RACE ACROSS AMERICA FULL#

In addition to races across the full span of the United States, shorter races with a similar format have been included within RAAM among these are a 24-hour version and the Race Across the West (RAW), typically ending in Durango, Colorado. In 1989, team divisions were added to introduce new elements of technology and strategy: a category for HPVs and faired bikes resulted in record speeds, and a four-man team division gave racers the option of riding together or taking turns, allowing them to balance higher speeds against longer rest periods. The race was televised on ABC's Wide World of Sports through 1986. The concept caught on and the event grew larger year after year, with riders from around the world showing up to compete. The course started in Santa Monica, California and finished at the Empire State Building in New York City, where Haldeman emerged as the winner.Īfter the first year, the name of the event changed to Race Across America, and participation became subject to qualification rather than invitation. There were four competitors: John Marino himself, John Howard, Michael Shermer, and Lon Haldeman.

The first incarnation of RAAM, The Great American Bike Race, was organized by John Marino in 1982. Pictured left is current race director George Thomas History Seana Hogan being honored at the 2011 Race Across America. By contrast, the Tour de France features a different route each year (alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise circuits around France) and is about 2,300 miles long the distance is divided into individual daily stages spread over the course of about 3 weeks and contested at much higher speeds. More importantly, the race has no stages, i.e., it is in principle a nonstop event from start to finish, with the fastest competitors needing slightly over a week to complete the course. 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), making it a transcontinental event. The courses of both races have varied over the years. In length the RAAM is comparable to the Tour de France, but the races differ to a great extent. All entrants must prove their abilities by competing in any of several qualifying events, completing a course within a specified time period. RAAM is one of the longest annual endurance events in the world.

Race across america