December 17th, 2007 by 
thien
BOULDER, Colo. (December 17, 2007) — More than 250 courageous athletes have pre-registered to compete in the 2008 Race Across America (RAAM). View 2008 roster here. RAAM is a non-stop, coast-to-coast race in June that will pass 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.
Now in its 27th 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.
The event has grown tremendously in the past few years, especially with the addition of team relay divisions. In 2006, 151 racers started RAAM, and last year, 192 racers pulled their wheels to the start line. Race Director, Terry Zmrhal, says, “Registration for the 2008 race is exceeding our projections. We usually receive many of our registrations in late winter; however, the surging popularity of RAAM around the world, is building a sense of urgency for our racing community.”
To date, this year’s field includes 23 solo racers and 53 relay team entities in either 2, 4 or 8 person configurations. The solo racers currently include 2 women and 21 men, representing the U.S.A., Canada, Germany, Italy, Austria, England, Switzerland, and Brazil. No previous champions have registered yet, however, traditionally, many solo racers will not commit to RAAM until early spring.
Of the registered solo racers, five racers are veteran RAAM solo competitors. David Haase (Fond du Lac, WI) finished in 4th place in both 2005 and 2006. Haase’s experience should allow him to better his 2006 time of 9 days, 21 hours and 41 minutes, and make him a contender for the overall championship.
David Jones (Canoga Park, CA) is set to return in his third attempt at RAAM. He finished the 2007 race in 12 days, 1 hour and 15 minutes, and at age 61 became the oldest solo finisher of the RAAM.
Four of the registered solo racers have graduated to the solo division after participation on a relay team in the past. These racers will face the challenge of adapting their training from the short, intense efforts needed for team relay racing, to the non-stop ultra endurance needs of the solo division. One benefit that previous team racers have in converting to the solo division, is that they have experience assembling the logistical needs to race across the country, and have experienced a glimpse of the sleep management issues needed for a non-stop, 3,000 mile race.
Team categories will also offer up their share of suspense, as men and women, aged 18-75, join up as teams of two, four or eight, to race across the country in relay format, and attempt to finish in five to seven days (compared with the 8-12 days of a Solo effort). The 2007 race saw intense competition as several of the lead teams stayed within minutes, and sight, of each other for the first 4 days! Zmrhal said, “The excitement of the team racing amazed me. Watching the teams hammer at time trial speed, in the middle of the night, just blew me away!”
There are 53 teams currently registered. Currently, teams are representing the U.S.A., Canada, U.K., France, Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Luxembourg. Highlights include a team with several 75 year old men, two teams of women aged 50+ and 60+, and at least 5 teams competing in the mixed-gender division.
For those inspired by the challenge of RAAM, but lacking the time off or resources, RAAM now offers a two additional events that occur simultaneously with the signature cross-country race. New for 2008, RAAM presents the Race Across the West, which is a 1,000 mile race that finishes in Taos, NM. RAAM also continues to offer a 24-hour race on its first 500 miles, to Flagstaff, Ariz. Each of these events, start with the signature event in Oceanside, CA on June 8th and utilize the same route, rules, and logistics of RAAM. Registration for these races has been well accepted with over 30 racers committed.
Racer registration remains open; although a field cap is expected. Interested racers should act soon to secure a spot in the 2008 field. Registration information can be found at the event webpage www.raceacrossamerica.org, or, you can e-mail questions to the Race Director at director@raceacrossamerica.org.
About the Race Across America (RAAM)
The Race Across America, known as the “world’s toughest bicycle race”, will set over 250 competitors on a 3,000-mile route stretching from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland. Athletes race continuously day and night, on their own power or sharing the challenge with a team, and a crew of 8 -15 people following in support cars with food and supplies for the race. These courageous adventurers brave heat, wind, thunderstorms, altitude, the dark of night, fatigue, and sleep deprivation, cross two major mountain ranges, and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. For more information and race updates, see http://www.raceacrossamerica.org.
