With more 3,000 miles of American terrain to cover, the bicyclists who participate in Race Across America endured a long journey that in California and finished by the City Dock of Annapolis.
The race is considered to be one of the longest races requiring great endurance, according to the organization’s website. Bicyclists cross 12 states and climb over heights of 170,000 feet.
“It is a privilege for us to have such a world renown event end in the city of Annapolis,” said Jon Korin, president of Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.
Along with a dozen or so volunteers, Korin drives to the last station in Crownsville to meet the bicyclists and helps them get to Annapolis as they cross the finish line and are reunited with family.
The wife of one of the participants said she’d check race organizers’ live tracker map every four hours to see where her husband and his team checked in last.
“You check to see where they are and even last night I was checking to see where they were,” said Jenny Migdal from Alberque, New Mexico.
Her husband, Walt Migdal, raced with three others on his team. Together, they made it back under eight days. One of his teammates had known about the race since he was a child.
Jeff Boltz from Pennsylvania said he saw the race on television as a child and was inspired to do it when he got older.
Since then Boltz has participated twice.
“Each year is a little different,” Boltz said. “You need to start what you finish and that is what kept me going.”
His team helped raise money for Water for People, a nonprofit organization that helps countries access safe water. Out on the road, Boltz and his team worked together with a crew of 12 to safely travel from the west coast to the east.
“There was a crew with two riders at any given time,” Hilary Williams of Syracuse said. “We would switch on and off every 8 hours or so.”
The team weathered through cooler temperatures and more wind to make it to the finish line. At one point they had to change routes to avoid flooding in Missouri, said Jenny Migdal.
But not all the participants had a team of bicyclists. A bicyclist from Utah went solo and relied on his wife and crew to help him navigate to the finish line.
Gregory Robinson had participated in smaller scale races on the west coast but decided to go for a bigger challenge, he said.
“It starts with the little things and the little things become bigger things and then all of a sudden you wake up and go, what is the biggest thing you can dream of,” he asked. His answer was the Race Across America.
When he made it to the finish line his coach greeted him with ice cream. By the time Robinson made it to the stage to accept the honorary award he was near tears as he thanked his wife for all her support.
“She’s the backbone, she keeps everything together,” he explained. “She’s awesome.”
This year’s winner was Christoph Strasser and he holds the RAAM speed record and is the first male racer to win six times, according to the press statement.
Local bicyclist Ken Shuart, a graduate of Severna Park High School, did not make it to the finish line. His team covered over 2,000 miles.
For the first time, The Downtown Annapolis Partnership partnered with the race to put together a block party with local business vendors, music and food for locals and visitors to enjoy as they waited for the bicyclists to enter into town.
