Huntington Beach, CA to Atlantic City, NJ. 3,107 miles by bicycle in 10 day 2 hours.

Elaine Mariolle took up bicycling in the spring of 1983. Three years later she won the Race Across America (RAAM) and set a women's transcontinental record.

"While winning brought deep satisfaction, I am most proud of my ability to transform myself and work well with others. " Mariolle says.

Because of their service to the sport as well as their athletic achievements Elaine Mariolle and John Hughes have just been elected to the UltraCycling Hall of Fame. The members of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association elected them from eight candidates nominated by the UMCA' s Board.

Hughes is among the pre-eminent ultra coaches; however, one of his most cherished accomplishments is helping a deaf woman ride 100 miles.

"When we got back to South Lake Tahoe, Donna said 'I want to see 100.' I'd coached Donna as part of the Leukemia Society's Team in Training, who were riding their first century around Lake Tahoe. The official course was 90-some miles, but Donna wanted 100.0. I was so proud of her!" Hughes recalls.

Mariolle, 48, currently lives in Tucson, AZ. She works full-time directing arts, education and recreational programs for at-risk youth in Nogales, AZ. Last summer she launched a bicycling program to help students envision a wider range of possibilities for themselves. The students learned to rebuild a bike and then discovered new adventures as the road unfolds.

In addition to three consecutive RAAMs (1984, 1985, 1986) her other cycling highlights include:

• Paris-Brest-Paris 1991 (second woman).
• Seattle to San Diego (former record-holder).
• John Paul Mitchell San Francisco to Los Angeles Human Powered Vehicle contest;
• The Great Australian Bicycle Challenge.
• The Alaskan Iditabike.
• The Moscow to Leningrad cultural exchange ride.
• Leader for a Capetown to Johannesburg, South Africa bicycle tour.

She co-authored The Woman Cyclist (with Michael Shermer), edited the Perimeter Bicycling Journal since 1997 and has been part of the El Tour de Tucson family for the past 20 years.

Hughes officiating a record attempt.

Hughes, 56, lives in Boulder, CO. Since 1998 he has been the Managing Director of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association. During his tenure he has:

• Doubled the membership.
• Started the Year-Rounder Challenge to encourage consistent riding throughout the year.
• Created the Ultracycling Cup Competition to determine the best ultra racers of the season.
• Increased the number of qualifying races for the Race Across America from five to 13, including four qualifiers in Europe and one in South America.
• Revived the Ultra Records program.
• Transformed the UMCA from a privately owned business into a not-for-profit educational organization governed by an elected Board of Directors.

Bob Breedlove (left) and John Hughes climbing Wolf Creek Pass

On the bike Hughes has finished RAAM. He has set records at the Boston-Montreal-Boston 750-mile randonnée and the Furnace Creek 508 RAAM qualifier. He still holds records from Reno, NV to Tucson, AZ and north to south across Oregon, 292 miles at 20.3 mph. He's ridden Paris-Brest-Paris five times and is looking forward to riding it again in 2007.

Hughes notes: "Throughout my cycling career many friends have helped me. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without them and I am deeply grateful."

The Ultracycling Hall of Fame honors cyclists whose careers best exemplify the spirit of the sport. The members of the Hall of Fame should demonstrate each of the following:

1. Athletic excellence including high finishes in RAAM and/or RAAM qualifiers and/or ultra competitions such as the Ultracycling Cup Competition and Mileage Challenge; and,
2. Volunteer support of the sport as an event organizer and/or official and/or crew member and/or coach at multiple events; and,
3. Leadership and consideration for and helpfulness of other riders.

The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is an international organization that oversees long-distance amateur cycling events including the Race Across America, 12-and 24-hour road races, and ultra record attempts.