3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 56

Achievers Corner
Srinivas Gokulnath
First Indian to Complete
the Race Across America (RAAM)
O
ut of the 44 racers who qualified,
only nine men reached the finish
line. With an average speed of
10.86 miles an hour, Srinivas made it to the
seventh spot. What is RAAM?
Race Across America (RAAM) is called a
pinnacle of athletic achievement not only in
cycling circles but also the greater sporting
community.
Eleven days, 18 hours and 45 minutes, that’s what
it took this one man to race across the finish line
and make history as the first Indian to complete
the world’s most difficult cycle race! Its history traces back to 1982 when four
individuals raced from the Santa Monica Pier
in Los Angeles to the Empire State Building
in New York City. Covered by national
television, it captivated the public’s imagination.
Lt. Col Srinivas Gokulnath cycled 3,000 miles
(4,900 km), across 12 states, and climbed
1,70,000 vertical feet, to become the first Indian
to complete Race Across America (RAAM) 2017.
Out of the 44 racers who qualified, only nine men
reached the finish line. With an average speed
of 10.86 miles an hour, Srinivas made it to the
seventh spot.
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The winner of the 2017 race was Christoph
Stasser, who won his fourth RAAM, in eight days,
nine hours, 34 minutes.
Why is it so difficult?
Unlike the three great European Grand Tours,
Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana & Giro de Italia,
RAAM is not a stage race.
Vol 4 | Issue 1 |Jan - Feb 2019