Race Across America

Contestants have died, been maimed, and spiraled down into the nightmarish realm of madness. Half of them don't finish--in fact, only 200 racers have ever made it to the end. "Outside" magazine calls it "the toughest test of endurance in the world." RAAM (the Race Across America) is a bicycle race like no other. This epic race is the most brutal organized sporting event you've never heard of and one of the best-kept secrets in the sports world. Author Amy Snyder follows a handful of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 event, the closest and most controversial in history. "Hell on Two Wheels" is a thrilling and remarkably detailed account of their ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies. By experiencing the race from the perspective of the racers themselves, "Hell on Two Wheels" breaks new ground in helping us appreciate how such a grueling effort can be so cleansing and self-revelatory. This is more than just a race; it's a monster, a crucible, an unforgettable allegory about the human experience of pain and joy and self-discovery.

The Race Across America (RAAM) is a nonstop, 3,000-mile bicycle race with a twelve-day limit. The race course traverses deserts and mountains in all kinds of conditions including extreme temperatures, wind, rain, and fog. Racers typically sleep less than four hours per day. The Race Across America is the toughest ultracycling race in the world. It requires physical and mental toughness, but also organization, planning, and an efficient, dedicated, well-trained crew. "One Million Pedal Strokes" tells the story of how rookie Keith Wolcott completed RAAM in 2014, with his wife Ellen as his crew chief. It gives racer, crew chief, and crew perspectives of the race. It contains details about planning and details about decisions that must be made, with sections on potential problems, strategy, training, the mental aspect, a goal pace, crew training, nutrition, clothing, equipment, and recovery---all aimed to be useful for prospective RAAM racers.

Born to Fly is the gripping story of the fearless women pilots who aimed for the skies—and beyond. Just nine years after American women finally got the right to vote, a group of trailblazers soared to new heights in the 1929 Air Derby, the first women's air race across the U.S. Follow the incredible lives of legend Amelia Earhart, who has captivated generations; Marvel Crosson, who built a plane before she even learned how to fly; Louise Thaden, who shattered jaw-dropping altitude records; and Elinor Smith, who at age seventeen made headlines when she flew under the Brooklyn Bridge. These awe-inspiring stories culminate in a suspenseful, nail-biting rate across the country that brings to life the glory and grit of the dangerous and thrilling early days of flying, expertly told by the master of nonfiction history for young readers, National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin. Featuring illustrations by Bijou Karman.

More Than a Race is about the notorious Race Across America (the RAAM) known as the world's toughest bicycle race. The story tracks a four-man team of septuagenarians who proved that age is no obstacle to superlative performance. Adding to the narrative are the voices of families and crew members, whose perspectives on the racers and crew dynamics enrich the account. Leaving Oceanside CA on June 12, 2012, the team and their hard-working support crew of 15 raced to Annapolis MD in 6 days, 13 hours, 13 minutes, at an average of 19.04 mph. They not only broke the 70+ record by 27 hours, but also bested the 60+ record by more than 3 hours. Sponsored by UnitedHealthcare, the team overcame more than its share of obstacles, including 100-degree desert heat, a hospitalization, fierce Kansas winds, a bike dropped at high speed onto a highway in Illinois, and the final agony of the Appalachian Mountains. More Than a Race is a must-read for all cyclists and armchair adventurers alike.

Where am I? What is going on? Who are all those people outside?Joni replied, You are in a bicycle race. The race is called RAAM..Baby, you just need to get on your bike and ride. "Em screamed, "Oh my God! Oh my God! He's been hit!" "There is a dark side to RAAM, a side only those who have been there know exists." My RAAM is over. I have let everyone down.. I dont deserve to finish RAAM "What I saw, I still get chill bumps thinking about it, because the man took off. I mean, whoosh, he stood up on those pedals and took off." Ultra Race News Book Review http://www.ultraracenews.com/2012/05/23/unfinished-business-an-inspirational-story-of-true-grit-and-determination/

An account of an incredible 3,423-mile foot race across America, the Great Foot Race of 1928, and C.C. Pyle, the legendary sports promoter who masterminded the event. A year before the Great Depression, endurance fads were all the rage, from dance marathons to flagpole sitting, and spectators would shell out hard-earned cash to watch. When notorious sports agent and promoter C.C. Pyle offered a $25,000 prize for a foot race from Los Angeles to New York, 199 runners from all over the world took their marks and half a million spectators flocked to the starting line. The race was grueling, but an astonishing 55 participants made it to the Madison Square Garden finish line 84 days later. In re-creating this classic American drama, the author accessed never-before-published material and the support of several descendants of the participants.--From publisher description.

"This list of ultimate cycling races is compiled by cycling writer Ellis Bacon, with contributions from some of the world's leading cyclists, including 2012 Milan-San Remo winner Simon Gerrans and 2012 Tour of the Mediterranean champion Jonathan Tiernan-Locke." --

In 2012, Joe Barr almost died from altitude sickness on the 11,000-ft Wolf Creek Pass in a Race Across America attempt. The infamous 3,200-mile race is non-stop ultracycling at its most extreme. In 2014, Joe returned and received the coveted Finisher's medal, and in 2019, at the age of 60, he went back again and won his category. This story of extreme perseverance begins on a yellow Raleigh Chopper on the streets of Co. Derry, where Joe, trying to escape the harsh everyday reality of the Troubles as a young Catholic boy in an all- Protestant school, went on long bicycle rides into the countryside, dreaming of one day taking part in cycling's grand tours. When his baby son was diagnosed with cancer, Joe got on the bike with a different purpose and won his first 1,300-mile endurance race. This is a story of unimaginable grit, and of what it takes to keep going when failure seems inevitable.