Race Across America 2022: Everything you need to know about the ultra-distance cycling event

The Race Across America (RAAM) started on Tuesday 14 June, and currently 19 British riders are competing in the gruelling event. 

An ultra-distance road cycling race held in the United States, RAAM is effectively a time trial event covering 4,828km, racing from San Diego on the west coast, to Annapolis, Maryland, on the east coast. The route contains 17,362m of climbing, traversing directly through the heart of America.

In total, 33 solo riders, five two-person teams, 16 four-person teams and ten eight-person teams will compete in RAAM, with 19 British riders spread across each category. The fastest competitors will complete the route in roughly eight days, with 12 days the cut off time for solo riders.

Due to the nature of the event, there is no live TV coverage of RAAM. Instead, dot watching is available for spectators, whereby people are provided with each rider's precise location on RAAM's live tracking website.

Who are the British riders?

Among the 33 solo riders competing in the RAAM is James Golding. The 40-year-old is raising £150,000 for The Buffalo Foundation, a charity which provides disadvantaged communities access to sport and education. 

Golding has twice recovered from cancer in the last decade, and in that time has completed 21 multi-day cycling events. He also became the first British person to hold the Guinness Seven Day World record for distance cycled, achieving 2,842.4km. 

Throughout his various fundraising activities, Golding has raised over £3m for charity, earning him the regional winner of Pride of Birmingham award, as well as receiving a nomination for the Pride of Britain award, too. 

Two more solo Brits  competing in the gruelling event are Jonathan Spencer-Jones and Simon Potter. Spencer-Jones is the oldest of the trio of British riders competing solo at 59-years-old, and has previously finished the race in eight and four-person teams in 2010 and 2012.

Potter, meanwhile, is a former triathlete and duathlete who competed at the European Championships prior to becoming a British second category rider. 

In the two-person category, Britain will have two teams racing: The Pedalling Pasties and GCN. Cyclists Fighting Cancer are racing as a four-person team, while Blesma are competing as an eight-person team.

Doug Mckinnon is the oldest British rider in the race at 62-years-old, and is racing for Cyclists Fighting Cancer. 

The team Blesma, which is also a military charity for limbless veterans, is comprised of eight limbless riders helping to serve ex-Service men and women who have lost limbs. 

Their squad includes Dan Richards had his right arm and shoulder amputated following a motorcycle accident, and has competed in the 2018 Sydney Invictus Games. Alex Krol is a former Royal Marine Commando who sustained a spinal injury in 2005, resulting in becoming a full-time wheelchair user with no movement or sensation below his chest. 

Also in the team is William Browning, who suffered a rare vascular condition that affected his left hand and arm, resulting in an amputation. Matt Edwards sustained two shattered legs and a broken right shoulder while in the military, and subsequently had his left leg amputated in 2019, after 33 operations in five years. Joh Williams also has his left leg amputated, after being electrocuted with 60,000 volts in a freak accident in the army. 

Luke Delahunty is paralysed from his chest down, following a motorcycle crash while serving in the Royal Airforce. He hand cycles now, competing in the 2016 and 201 Invictus Games. Grant Jenkins had his left leg amputated in 2015, and is one of eight riders in the team hoping to raise money for the Blesma charity, while also proving his own capabilities to himself. 

Elsewhere, Mark Beaumont, racing for GCN, has cycled the world twice, completing 18,000 miles in 78 days and 14 hours - a record. Having also succeeded in many other challenges for charity, Mark received a British Empire Medal for his contribution to sport and charity. 

While riders compete as solo entrants, or even in teams, RAAM is a supported event, meaning large teams of helpers are required for each individual and group. 

Race Across America start list

Solo Riders

James Golding (GBr)
Jonathan Spencer-Jones (GBr)
Simon Potter (GBr)
Adriano Ongaro (Ita)
Allan Jefferson (Aus)
Arvis Sprude (Lat)
Bharat Pannu (Ind)
Chris Davies (USA)
Christian Mauduit (Fra)
Dorina Vaccaroni (USA)
Elin Starup (Den)
Graham Macken (Ire)
Jean-Luc Perez (Fra)
Jim Trout (USA)
Kabir Rachure (Ind)
Kari Rouvinen (Fin)
Kurt Matzler (Aut)
Les Crooks (USA)
Lionel Poggio (Swi)
Martin Neitzke (Ger)
Nicole Reist (Swi)

2-Person Teams

The Pedalling Pasties (GBr)
Jack Forster
Alex Forster

GCN (GBr)
Mark Beaumont
Jonathan Shubert

Dos Amigos (USA)
Tami Kerns
Bob Larson 

DVAG GOES RAAM (Ger)
Stefan Josef Hils
Christine Waitz 

Team Intelligent Cycling (Den)
Karsten Hoffmann
Frank Licht 

4-Person Teams

Cyclists Fighting Cancer (GBr)
Kevin Musgrave
Doug Mckinnon
Caspar Gilroy
Edward Cowell 

4Children (Den)
Brian Hansen
Malene Hansen
Claus Ferrall Sneppen 
Henrik Laursen 

4Cyclists4Kids (USA)
Hunter Tully
Erinne Guthrie
Dennis Phipps
Claudia Garcia 

Brasil airrelax Team (Bra)
Cleyton anderson Souza
Bernardo Kochen
Jose Ricardo Graca
Ivan Roberto de Campos Albano junior  

Eurodrive (Nor)
Peter Wieland
Kjell Teigland
Juergen Goos
Sjur Midtskogen

Love, Sweat, & Gears (USA)
Kilee Harmon
Melanie Carvell
Lori Klabunde
Karin Gardner 

Rise, Shine, and Spin (USA)
Christoph Harisberger
Josh Brown
Alan Kimbel
Eric Triosi 

Seniors Tom, Jim, Beau & Babe, (USA)
Jim Jenkins
Tom Buckley
John Guth
Nancy Guth 

Team Aspect (Ire)
Seamus Nash
John Dowd
Cathal Phillips
Phillip Culbert 

Team PossAbilities (USA)
Patrick Berkebile
Patrick McMahon
Carrie Ulrick
Paul East 

Team Sonoma Creamery (USA)
Uli Muench
John Crean
Eric Gomez
Chris Jackson 

Team Steinberg Coaching (Ger)
Steffi Steinberg 
Gerry Steinberg
Joachim Graf
Janusz Piatkowski de Grzymala 

Team Sunshine (USA)
Scott Bartos
Myles Bartos
Mark Durno 
Tim Dowse 

uks-goes-america.de (Ger)
Achim Roeder
Andreas Ritter
Daniel Schrimpf
Constantin Kolb

VelociRiders (USA)
Jaysen Jorgensen
David Licary
Craig Lunaas
Beth Millard 

VENCENDO DESAFIOS TEAM BRASIL (Bra)
Marcio Milan
Guilherme Scola
Jose Ramos Borghi
Luiz Augusto Milano

8-Person Teams

Blesma (GBr)
Dan Richards
Simon Gillespie-Khan
Alex Krol
William Browning
Matt Edwards
John Williams
Luke Delahunty
Grant Jenkins 

Aligned Alliance - Team A2 (USA)
Monty Heath
Rhonda Vetere
Robert Prodan
Morgon Latimore
Rhy Waddington
Rob Williams
Doreen Wagner
Keith Eckert 

Bikers Without Borders (Bra)
Luigi Manzolillo
Vinicius Cichon
Alexandre Paiva
Marcelo Carneiro
Armando Garcia
Jose Ferrao Filho
Mauricio Gandini
Jose Augusto Ferrao 

Decode XY (Ice)
Vidar Thorsteinsson
Daniel Gudbjartsson
Pall Gestsson
Olafur Thor Magnusson
Gisli Halldorsson
Arnaldur Gylfason
Frosti Jonsson
Gardar Sveinbjornsson 

enjoy the rIDe (USA)
Dodds Hayden
Anthony Baker
Doug Gardner
Mat Erpelding
Justin Harvey
Brandon Akers
Scott Gatzemeier
Nate Furman 

RAAMBRASIL TEAM (Bra)
Mario Sanchez
Tarso Dellinghausen
Marta Sangirardi
Daniel Baena
Fernando Martins
Rafael Figueiredo
Alessandro Pinto
Vanderlei Lupianes 

Team BEMER (USA)
Chris DeMarchi
Philip Tinstman
Carlos Casali
Tony Restuccia
Joshua Stockinger
Jason Meidhof
Jason Paez
Randall Coxworth 

Team ONE MILE (USA)
Mike Campbell
Cesar Valera
Kari Giles
James Lawrence
Sara McDowell
Viviane Favery
Aaron Hopkinson
Paige Gray-Hackler 

Team Skipper (USA)
Tim Skipper
Lori Hoechlin
Brad Wiggs
Robert Kelly
Barbara Sullivan
David "Tinker" Juarez
Deborah Hoag
Margaret Howell