Founded in 1980, the UltraMarathon Cycling Association is dedicated to the advancement of long-distance bicycling. John Marino and Michael Shermer formed the UMCA to serve as the official governing body for all long-distance bicycling. It would publish a newsletter and keep track of ultra cycling records, both past and future ones. After his double-trancontinental in 1981 Lon Haldeman joined Marino and Shermer in shaping the UMCA.

Renamed the Race Across AMerica (RAAM) in 1983, the UMCA has sanctioned this prestigious event each year since. Outside magazine, in a 1993 survey of super-endurance sporting events, called RAAM "the toughest race in the world."

John Marino served as the first director of the UMCA, a for-profit California corporation. At the end of 1992, John stepped down as director and Michael Shermer became the next director of RAAM and of the UMCA. Michael said "We are partners in this business — John and Lon and me — but it is Marino that has been 'our mirror, our light, our comfort and our true guide.' He has been one man who stands alone against the odds. The rest of us act a merely scaffolding in support."

In 2000 the UMCA created a new competition: riders would compete in a select series of ultra events to determine the ultra riders of the season. The competition was named the John Marino Competition, honoring the founder of our sport. In 2001 the Race Across America was dedicated to John Marino.

Chris Kostman was race director for the first relay team event, the HPV Team RAAM in 1989. In 1991 Kostman proposed adding a team division with regular bikes and served as Team RAAM director from 1992 - 1996. During this time the team division grew from 4 to 16 teams.

The UMCA's Board of Directors has elected Haldeman, Howard, Marino, Susan Notorangelo and Shermer to the Ultracycling Hall of Fame as Founding members. The four men raced in the first transcontinental bicycle race in 1982. Notorangelo won RAAM in 1986 and 1989 and, with Haldeman, holds the mixed tandem transcontinental record.

In 1994, Michael Shermer appointed Nick Gerlich as director of the UMCA; Micheal continued to direct RAAM through 1999. Nick Gerlich served as UMCA director and solo/tandem RAAM director through 1997. Like his predecessors, an active racer and RAAM veteran, he encouraged members to challenge themselves in setting records, RAAM qualifiers and in the big dance, itself. Nick also started Texas Hell Week, a very popular spring break gathering of ultra cyclists in Fredricksburg, TX.

On November 1, 1997 Shermer and Haldeman appointed John Hughes as the fifth director of the UMCA. John is a personal trainer, certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and a United States Cycling Federation Sport Coach. John is a veteran of RAAM, the Furnace Creek 508 and Tour of North Texas qualifiers, Boston-Montreal-Boston and a five time veteran of Paris-Brest-Paris. As editor of UltraCycling, John provides expert guidance on training for endurance events.

In January, 1999, seeking broader membership participation, Hughes convened the Executive Advisory Committee(EAC). The EAC was a panel of 12 UMCA members elected by the membership to advise the UMCA Managing Director and the RAAM Race Director on policy issues.

In January, 2001, RAAM, LLC (owned 67% by Jim Pitre and 33% by Lon Haldeman) purchased from Haldeman, Marino and Shermer all of the assets of UMC, Inc. including the UMCA and the Race Across America. Haldeman became the director of RAAM. Haldeman pioneered a new, more northerly route, from Portland, OR to Pensacola, FL.

In 2002, Hughes took the lead to re-create the UMCA as a member-owned not-for-profit, the UMCA, Inc. On November 1, 2002, the UMCA membership voted to approve the UMCA Constitution dated September 1, 2002. The membership approved the Executive Advisory Committee becoming the first Board of Directors of the UMCA, and authorized the Board, on behalf of the members, to adopt Bylaws and file Articles of Incorporation. The Bylaws were approved by the Board of Directors on November 2, 2002.

At the beginning of 2003, the UMCA members elected the first Board of Directors. Hughes and Pitre donated their assets to the new corporation.

Hughes has a broad vision of ultra cycling, embracing all distance enthusiasts who push their personal limits in events ranging from centuries to RAAM. Under his leadership the UMCA has grown significantly and our programs are thriving:

• In 1997 the UMCA had 678 members in 14 countries; in 2006 we had 1,659 members in 21 countries.
• In 1997 57 riders qualified for RAAM in five qualifiers. The UMCA now sanctions a dozen qualifiers on three continents. In 2006 183 riders qualified for RAAM.
• In 1997 the Mileage Challenge had 24 riders; 257 riders logged 576,747 miles in 2006
• In 2000 the John Marino Competition was created; during the 2006 season 91 men, 21 women competed in 41 events to determine best ultra riders of the season.
• In 2002 the UMCA was re-established as a member-controlled corporation
• In April 2005 the Internal Revenue Service determined that the UMCA, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization. The UMCA is exempt from state and federal income taxes and charitable donations made to the UMCA are tax-deductible.

At the end of 2006 the UMCA purchased title to the Race Across AMerica. The UMCA purchased title to the race for three reasons:

1. The future of RAAM was in jeopardy. Most years RAAM lost money and lost large sums for the last six years. If the UMCA in partnership with a group of angels did not act, RAAM 2007 wouldn't take place.
2. Every competitive sport has a pinnacle event that defines the sport and motivates athletes at many levels. Football players aspire to the Super Bowl, swimmers dream of the Olympics, etc. RAAM is the pinnacle event of ultracycling.
3. The UMCA bought title to RAAM so the UMCA has long-run control over the direction of the race. Thus, the UMCA can ensure that the RAAM's future fits with the UMCA's strategy for ultracycling.

The UMCA has licensed to an independent company, RAAM, LLC, the all of the operations of the race.

Download John Hughes' Vision for the UMCA

Download November-December 2006 UltraCycling about the UMCA and RAAM