The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultra marathon bicycle race across the United States that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race.
RAAM is among the best-known and longest annual endurance event in the world. All entrants must prove their abilities by competing in any of several qualifying events, completing a course within a specified time period. RAAM is sanctioned by the UMCA.
RAAM has been compared to the Tour de France, yet the races differ to a great extent. Both races' courses have varied over their history. 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) in about a week, making it a transcontinental event. A typical course might be from Oceanside, California, to Atlantic City, New Jersey. In contrast, the Tour de France is about 2,300 miles long, features a different route each year, and is run over the course of about 3 weeks because it is divided into shorter daily stages.
Read more about Race Across America: History, Course Structure, Records, List of Overall Winners
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