Race Across America - History

History

The Great American Bike Race was originally organized by John Marino in 1982. There were four competitors, John Marino, John Howard, Michael Shermer, and Lon Haldeman. The concept caught on and the event grew bigger every year. The name would change and riders from around the world would compete. In 1989 a team division was added in which HPVs and faired bikes were allowed and records were shattered. The original course started in Santa Monica, California and finished at the Empire State Building in New York City. Haldeman won. The race was televised on ABC's Wide World of Sports through 1986.

1982 race:

Finish	Winner	Home	Time	Average Speed
1	Lon Haldeman	Harvard, IL	9d 20h 02m	12.57 mph
2	John Howard	Houston, TX	10d 10h 59m	11.83 mph
3	Michael Shermer	Tustin, CA	10d 19h 54m	11.42 mph
4	John Marino	Irvine, CA	12d 07h 37m	10.04 mph

In 1989 the race added a four-man team division in which they could choose to ride together or take turns, thus enabling faster speeds with longer rest periods. In 2006 the race format changed with the addition of a Solo Enduro division in which riders rest off the bike for a total of 40 hours at specified points across the country. The 40 hours are deducted from a rider's total time at the end of the race. These changes were made to improve safety and shift the emphasis to long-distance riding speed and away from the capacity to endure sleep deprivation. The Enduro Division no longer exists, though. The Solo Traditional division still measures lowest elapsed time from west coast to east coast. The official winner is the one in the Solo.

The solo division of the 2009 race began on June 17 in Oceanside, California. Teams start on June 20. The finish line was once again in Annapolis, Maryland.

The race is held in several divisions. In 2008 those were:

• RAAM: Solo Female
• RAAM: Solo Male
• RAAM: Solo Male (50–59)
• RAAM: Solo Male (60–69)
• RAAM: Solo Male - Recumbent (50–59)
• RAAM: Two-Person Male
• RAAM: Two-Person Male (50–59)
• RAAM: Two-Person Mixed
• RAAM: Four Person Male
• RAAM: Four Person Male (50–59)
• RAAM: Four Person Male (60–69)
• RAAM: Four Person Female
• RAAM: Four Person Female (50–59)
• RAAM: Four Person Mixed
• RAAM: Four Person Mixed (50–59)
• RAAM: Eight Person
• Race Across the West: Solo Male
• Race Across the West: Solo Male (50–59)
• Race Across the West: Solo Female
• Race Across the West: Two-Person Mixed (50–59)
• Race Across the West: Four-Person Male
• 24 Hour: Four-Person Female
• 24 Hour: Eight Person