The Iron Butt Association (IBA) is a US-based organization dedicated to endurance motorcycle riding with a claimed over 50,000 members world-wide who tout themselves as the "World's Toughest Riders." One of its more popular slogans is "The World Is Our Playground."
The IBA does not have membership in a traditional sense. There are no formal meetings and no monthly newsletter. There are no mandatory yearly dues, although members can voluntarily pay an annual fee to become a premiere member. Premiere members receive occasional news and information from the IBA staff, early notice of some events, additional chances to enter some events, discounted entry fees for some events, and access to special areas of the web-based discussion board.
The IBA is a loose-knit organization with only one way to earn membership: ride one of the several rides the IBA certifies. The minimum is the Saddle Sore 1000 – 1,000 miles (1,600 km) miles in 24 hours or less. Entry into the Iron Butt Rally is by lottery only and every lottery entry must be an Iron Butt Member first. Rally workers and supporters (and Premiere members, as mentioned above) are granted extra chances in the lottery process. A certain number of entrants are drawn from pools that include volunteers, veterans and Premier members. Those that were not drawn from those are then put in with the other applications and the remainder of the entrants are drawn from that pool.
Read more about Iron Butt Association: History, IBA Sanctioned Events
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