Ultracycling: Race Across America Qualifiers
Ride your bike across America!

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RAAM Qualifiers

Updated January 30, 2008

The Race Across America  

RAAM Qualified!
RAAM Qualified plaque
awarded by the UMCA
to each rider who qualifies
for solo RAAM.

We have many opportunities for solo bicycle racers to qualify for the Race Across AMerica. RAAM qualifying races also serve other purposes:

  • Qualifying solo racers to race in RAAM and receiving the coveted invitation to race in RAAM.
  • Earning the RAAM Qualified plaque, awarded by the UMCA to each rider who qualifies.
  • Earning points in the Ultracycling Cup to determine the ultra racers of the season.
  • Demonstrating outstanding performance for the UltraCyclist of Distinction award, the highest honor an ultracyclist can earn.
  • Training to race in RAAM. Relay teams are encouraged to race the qualifiers. The most experienced solo and relay team riders usually do the best in RAAM.

Solo and tandem racers in the RAAM qualifying races must be members of the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association.
How to join the UMCA.

Complete roster of riders who have qualified for RAAM.


Qualifying for the Race Across AMerica
Policy on Qualifying for RAAM approved by the UMCA's Board of Directors, March 1, 2004.

Who must qualify for RAAM
Solo racers — must meet the qualifying standards (below) to race in RAAM.

Tandem bicycle racers — must meet the qualifying standards (below) to race in RAAM.

Relay team racers do not have to qualify in order to race in RAAM.

Categories for Qualifying
To qualify for RAAM riders compete in categories based on the following:
Gender Male Female        
Age 18-49 50-59 60-69 70 and up
Bike Type Solo including single
speed & fixed gear
Recumbent HPV Tandem

Duration of qualification
An ultra racer is eligible to compete in RAAM for the three years following the year in which the ultra racer qualified by one of the methods below.

If a racer is an official finisher of solo Race Across AMerica or tandem RAAM, then the racer is qualified for RAAM for life.

Resources
RAAM Qualified!
Marko Baloh approaching Towne Pass
2004 Furnace Creek 508
Dave Nelson photo
Training, Equipment & Nutrition:   Articles to help you prepare to race in a RAAM qualifier or the Race Across AMerica.

RAAM e-mail list:   Sign-up for the RAAM e-mail list.

Insider's Guides:   Expert advice from veteran ultra racers on how to race each RAAM qualifier.

Crewing:   "Crewing with Fuzzy" hands-on advice from Lee Mitchell. A good crew is essential to a successful ultra race!

Qualifying Races
The UMCA sanctions three types of RAAM qualifiers.

1) RAAM-style
The regional qualifying bicycle races are non-drafting ultra races.

United States
  Race Across Oregon July A 538-mile mountainous loop from Portland to Mt. Hood.
  Fireweed 400 July A 400-mile mountainous out & back ride in Alaska.
  Adirondack 540 September 540 miles and 30,000 feet of climbing in the Adirondacks.
  Hoodoo 500 September 500 mile loop in Utah.
  Tejas 500 September A hilly 20 mile loop in Texas; support crew not required.
Europe:
  Race Around Slovenia   May 1,100 km in Slovenia
  Radmarathon   July 715 km in Switzerland
  Round Czech Republic   August 1,310 km in Czech Republic

Qualifying standard
A rider must finish within the specified time based on the first rider not currently qualified for RAAM.

     Men Women
  18-49 years old 115% 115%
  50-59 years old 125% 125%
  60-69 years old 135% 135%

For example, Rider A finishes sixth overall in 35 hours. Rider A is not currently qualified to race in RAAM. Rider B, 55-year old man, must finish within 125% of Rider A's time, i.e., 43 hours 45 minutes. Rider C, a woman, wins the womens division in 30 hours. Rider C is not currently qualified for RAAM. Rider D, a 45-year old woman, must finish within 115% of the Rider C's time, i.e., or 34 hours 30 minutes.

2) 24-Hour Races
These are also non-drafting races. Support crews are not required; however, it is difficult to qualify without a support person to prepare and hand off food and water.

  Sebring 24-Hour February Florida
  Ultra Midwest 24-Hour September Iowa
  Desafio 24-Hour November Brazil

Qualifying Standard
     Men Women
  18-49 years old 425 miles 400 miles
  50-59 400 miles 375 miles
  60-69 375 miles 350 miles

3) Team RAAM
Offical finishers of 2-person and 4-person Team RAAM are qualified to race in Solo RAAM

Race Calendar Dates and organizational contacts for each event.

Other Qualifying Opportunities
In addition the UMCA recognizes other opportunities to qualify for RAAM:

4) 1200 km randonnées
1200 km randonnées sanctioned by the Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM) or Audax Club Parisien (ACP) are drafting events with time limits, rather than non-drafting races. As such, they are neither sanctioned by nor supported by the UMCA. However, a 1200 km randonnée is a significant test of a rider's fitness and a rider may use an RM/ACP-sanctioned 1200 km to qualify for RAAM under the following conditions:

  1. the rider is a current, annual member of the UMCA, and
  2. the rider informs the UMCA by letter or e-mail before the 1200 km that the rider intends to use the 1200 km to attempt to qualify for RAAM, and
  3. the rider meets the qualifying standard for a division:
Qualifying Standard
     Men Women
  18-49 years old under 65 hours under 70 hours
  50-59 under 70 hours under 75 hours
  60-69 under 75 hours under 80 hours

5) British 24-Hour Championship
Although not sanctioned by nor supported by the UMCA, riders may use the British 24-Hour to qualify for RAAM under the following conditions:

  1. the rider is a current, annual member of the UMCA, and
  2. the rider informs the UMCA by letter or e-mail before the 24-hour that the rider intends to use the 24-hour to attempt to qualify for RAAM, and
  3. the rider meets the qualifying standard for a division:

  British 24-Hour July

Qualifying Standard
     Men Women
  18-49 years old 425 miles 400 miles
  50-59 400 miles 375 miles
  60-69 375 miles 350 miles

6) Individual time trial
If a rider lives on a continent with no RAAM qualifier, then the rider may qualify by meeting the 24-hour qualifying standard in an individual time trial officiated by the rider's national cycling federation

7) Invitation of the RAAM director
Based on a rider's cycling resume, the RAAM director may issue an invitation to compete in RAAM. The rider's resume must include cyling race results in the last three years, results which are significantly better than riders who qualify in RAAM qualifiers.

Race Calendar   Dates and organizational contacts for each event.

Questions? E-mail Lee Mitchell, UMCA Chair for RAAM Qualifying  leebikevan @ aol.com

Download Policy on Qualifying for RAAM.
Download Policy on Sanctioning RAAM Qualifiers.


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