RAGBRAI
| Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa | |
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Event logo
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| Status | Active |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Varies |
| Location(s) | State of Iowa |
| Country | United States |
| Years active | 43 |
| Inaugurated | August 26, 1973 |
| Founder | John Karras and Donald Kaul |
| Activity | Bicycling |
| Sponsor | The Des Moines Register |
| Website | |
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RAGBRAI is an acronym and registered trademark for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which is a non-competitive bicycle ride organized by The Des Moines Register and going from west to east across the U.S. state of Iowa, that draws recreational riders from across the United States and many foreign countries. First held in 1973, RAGBRAI is the largest bike-touring event in the world.
Riders begin at a community on Iowa's western border and ride to a community on the eastern border, stopping in towns across the state. The ride is one week (seven days) long, ending on the last Saturday of July each year, after beginning on the previous Sunday. The earliest possible starting date is July 19 and the latest is July 25.
RAGBRAI holds an annual lottery which selects 8,500 week-long riders. The lottery is held beginning November 15 of the previous year and until April 1. Random computer selection determines the participants. A registration form is available on the RAGBRAI web site and can either be entered online or printed and mailed to the Des Moines Register. Entrants are notified by email on May 1 as to the lottery results. There are also passes on a first come, first served basis for 1,500 day riders; these are limited to three per person. Additionally, Iowa bicycle clubs and charters, as well as teams and groups (many from out of state), receive a number of passes for which members apply through those organizations. Despite the official limits, unregistered riders have on many days swelled the actual number of riders to well over the registered number count.
The length of the entire week's route over RAGBRAI's first 40 years from 1973 through 2012, not including the Century Loop, averaged 467.925 miles (753.052 km), with the average daily distance between host communities 67.09 miles (107.97 km). Eight "host communities" are selected each year: one each for the beginning and end points, the other six serving as overnight stops from Sunday through Friday for the bicyclists. At the beginning of the ride, participants traditionally dip the rear wheels of their bikes in either the Missouri River or the Big Sioux River (depending on the starting point of the ride). At the end, the riders dip the front wheels in the Mississippi River.
The 44th ride, RAGBRAI XLIV, was held July 24-30, 2016, beginning in Glenwood and staying at Shenandoah, Creston, Leon, Centerville, Ottumwa, and Washington before ending in Muscatine. The 45th ride, RAGBRAI XLV, will be on July 23-29, 2017, beginning in Orange City, with overnight stops in Spencer, Algona, Clear Lake, Charles City, Cresco, and Waukon, before finishing in Lansing. In 2017, there will be a "Mile of Silence" to remember the riders that have been lost throughout the years. This will take place on the third day after leaving Granville. Also, the optional 3rd Annual Gravel Loop will be on the way to Sunderland.
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