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OverviewRace Across America, RAAM, is preparing for it's 27th year. RAAM has been termed "The World's Toughest Race" by Outside Magazine. The 2007 course included 108,600 feet of climbing over the 3,043 miles separating the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. The solo cyclist races about 20 hours per day covering hundreds of miles for 9-12 days straight. To be competitive, a two-person relay team needs to have one rider moving down the road every minute of every day for up to 9 days straight. Each rider will face sleep deprivation, intense desert heat, high altitude climbs through the Rockies, and the possibility of strong headwinds and storms. Austrian adventurer Wolfgang Fasching has won solo RAAM and climbed Mount Everest. "Everest is more dangerous, but RAAM is much harder," said Fasching.To compare with the TdF let's look at some of the numbers; the TdF in 2007 was just over 2200 miles long and it took 22 days to complete it, two of those being rest days. Only one mountain peak was over 9000 feet and unless you were in a solo breakaway, the riders would constantly shelter each other from the wind. In RAAM the ride is just over 3000 miles, solo riders are allowed twelve days to complete the ride, two-person team only nine. There is no drafting allowed off of another team or a rider not in the race, you cannot even take pace off of another person. There were five peaks over 9000 feet, one of those was over 10,000 foot. The 2008 event will be the second under new leadership and will include a 1000 mile event for those a bit less adventurous. It will also include over 1000 miles of new roads not covered before during a RAAM event. The ride starts in Oceanside, CA and will end in Annapolis, MD over 3018 miles later. **Side Note: One of the original founders of RAAM is also a supporter; Mr. John Howard. Please check out our endorsement page.  |
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