PARKERSBURG, WV -- More than 220 courageous athletes are attempting to complete a non-stop, coast-to-coast race called Race Across America, that passes over two major mountain ranges, through the desert and across the American plains, and into the face of the severest weather patterns on the North American continent, before finishing in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Cyclists are expected to reach the
The race route passes through the area along Route 50/Route 47, with riders pausing at Time Stations in
“The solo race is very close this year,” Local Time Station Coordinator Dick Bonnet said. “There are only a few hours between the top four riders. Team racers should arrive Sunday morning and throughout the day. Solo riders will start Sunday night and go all day Monday.”
For the fourth consecutive year,
“In years past we have experienced a fair amount of participants stopping at the time station. This year’s station should prove to attract even more teams due to CAS cable providing technical expertise in wireless internet services for the racers,” Dick Bonnet, local time station coordinator, said.
Now in its 26th year, the legendary event, known as the "world's toughest endurance race," inspires men and women of all ages, who spend a year out of their mostly ordinary lives training for the monumental challenge of pedaling across the United States to test the utmost limits of their physical strength, mental spirit, resilience and commitment.
This year's notable field includes 46 men and women over the age of 50, cyclists living with diabetes and transplanted organs, and one man with a prosthetic leg.
"The Race Across America represents a victory over fear, weakness, hardship and even disease," said Fred Boethling, a cancer survivor who, at 61, became the oldest man to finish Solo RAAM in 2006. "It offers racers the opportunity to work towards an ambitious personal goal, while drawing in others to give back to the community."
Time stations spaced every 50 miles along the 3,043-mile route offer a spot for racers to check in, teams to switch riders on the road, support crews to regroup, members of the media to gather interviews, and spectators to cheer on these incredible athletes.
This year's Solo division promises an especially dramatic race with the return of three former RAAM winners: 2006 champion Daniel Wyss, 2004 and 2005 winner Jure Robic, and 1997, 2000 and 2002 winner Wolfgang Fasching, who has taken no less than third place every year since his Rookie of the Year honor in 1996. This year also sees the largest Solo Women's race category in RAAM history, with five women going for gold, one of them at the age of 60.
Team categories will also offer up their share of suspense, as men and women, aged 18-74, join up as teams of two, four or eight, to share the pedaling across the country and attempt to finish in five to seven days (compared with the 8-12 days of a Solo effort).
Their experience, and RAAM itself, is made possible by hundreds of volunteers around the country who staff time stations and work on racer support crews. Each support crew includes 8-12 people and two vehicles, one to follow the rider on the road and the other to check the route, track the competition, run errands, and provide sleeping quarters.
For those inspired by the challenge but lacking the time off, RAAM offers a 24-hour race on its first 500 miles, from
Competition for first place will be fierce among this year's four teams of eight, who must maintain high speeds for a "short" but grueling course that includes 22,000 vertical feet of climbing.
The end result is millions of dollars raised for more than 30 charities around the world, chosen by racers who fundraise as passionately as they train, incorporating publicity events into their training schedule, naming an honorary pedal partner (often a child) and setting serious goals of raising more than $100,000.
Follow the route and the action on the RAAM website's "live coverage.” This online report will be updated every 30 minutes -- 24 hours per day -- with news and photos: http://www.raceacrossamerica.org
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