Burns in action on I-40 near Winslow, AZ

Victor Liebe of the Arizona Highway Patrol pulled up to Larry Burns who was standing with his bike on I-40 between Flagstaff and Winslow.

About to be cited for riding on the freeway? No, Officer Liebe's first words were "I could just hug you."

Burns was Liebe's physical training instructor at the Highway Patrol academy. A few years ago Burns had a near fatal accident on his bicycle. Liebe had heard about Burns' accident and recovery and said that it had been an inspiration to him when he was injured. Burns: "It's a good feeling to hear from people that you touch in life."

On May 12 & 13, 2006 Burns and Marvin Atwood set a new two-man relay record across Arizona. They started on Davis Dam on the Arizona/Nevada border and raced east to the Arizona/New Mexico border on I-40. The duo completed the 341.6 mille ride in 18 hours 42 minutes. The riders traded off every 20-30 minutes depending on the terrain. Jeannette Burns and Pam Atwood were the crew and drove the follow vehicle as well as the shuttle car to pick up and drop off the riders.

Atwood loading up after a pull on I-40 near Winslow.

The riders chose an evening start, leaving the Nevada border at 7:11 pm. After 32 miles they joined I-40 at milepost 50. Bill Peschka, the official, reported "I-40 had a generous shoulder all the way, but still probably holds the record for the filthiest roadway in the U.S., littered mostly with pieces of disintegrated truck tires." Atwood had four flats. Burns commented, "I'd like to find out who I have to convince to clean up the side of the road. How does the Department of Transportation expect to attract cyclists if they don't smooth out and clean up our lane!"

The riders enjoyed clear weather and little to no wind. The temperatures in Laughlin had waned from the day's high of 106 to a mere 99 when they started. Temps cooled somewhat on the climb from Laughlin (650 ft) to Kingman (3350 ft), where it was 90 at about 9:30 p.m. The riders climbed up to Ashfork (5150 ft) and Williams (6700 ft) on the way to Flagstaff (7000 ft), where the overnight low was 38 degrees. The riders left Flagstaff as the new day began and the temperature climbed as the riders descended to 4500 feet. After a couple of hours of roller the racers climbed back up to more climbs ensued bringing the riders up to Winslow (4900 ft) and to Holbrook (5100 ft). The temperature was back into the 90s by the time they reached the New Mexico border at 1:53 p.m.

Afterward Burns said the hardest part was "staying awake long enough when you finish to get a decent meal." Jeannette Burns was a rookie crewmember. She survived and reportedly is still excited about crewing for RAAM 2006."

Atwood (L) and Burns (R) approaching the New Mexico state line.

Burns and Atwood raced in RAAM 2005 as members of the four-person mixed team Landis Team Phoenix. In 2006 they'll be racing on the four-person mixed Emily's Team along with Pam Atwood and Dan McGehee.

Last fall Marvin Atwood set the overall solo Arizona East-West record of 21 hours 11 minutes, 16.33 mph. Atwood recruited Dan McGehee to join the team for RAAM 2006; McGehee holds the UMCA records for 100 and 200 miles. Then "Larry and Pam decided to join the club as record holders so that we could have a RAAM team comprised of all record holders. Dan came up with the idea of a double challenge on the same day, which of course took a little convincing of Pam, but being the great competitor that she is she decided to step up to the plate." On May 20 Pam Atwood attempted to set the women's age 50+ record for the 100 miles and Dan McGehee attempted to break his current 100-mile record of 4 hours 10 minutes.

Burns, 51, is a Lieutenant for the Arizona Department of Public Safety and lives in Phoenix. Atwood, 54, is a court reporter and lives in Chandler.

L-R: Larry and Jeannette Burns, Pam and Marvin Atwod

The record attempt is pending certification by the UltraMarathon Cycling Association, an international organization that oversees long-distance amateur cycling events. Bill Peschka, the UMCA official, observed the record attempt to ensure that the riders complied with all cycling regulations and traffic laws.

Official Record: 341.6 miles in 18 hours 57 minutes, average speed of 18.03 mph
Start: AZ/NV state line on SH 68 over Davis Dam on Colorado River
Finish: I-40 at AZ/NM state line