A B’luru athlete recently completed a 4,800-km long cycling event in the USA, with varying landscapes, from the scorching deserts to the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the picturesque countryside
BENGALURU: In the niche world of ultra-endurance cycling, the annual Race Across America (RAAM) is perhaps one of the most gruelling endurance races in the world. While the event covers roughly the same distance as the more well-known counterpart, the Tour de France, RAAM pushes its participants’ physical and mental capabilities to new limits. Unlike the Tour de France, the 4,800 km race is held at one go, with participants racing against each other to reach the finish line in the quickest time possible.
In the latest edition of the event, held last month across the east and west coast in the US, city-based athlete Srinivas Gokulnath (42) rose to the challenge, tackling the course within a span of 11 days and six hours to finish in 7th place overall. “I originally heard about the race from someone in Bengaluru’s cycling community in 2009. The concept of completing a nearly 5,000 km race in under 12 days intrigued me,” says Gokulnath, an aerospace medical officer.
Over the next few years, Gokulnath took up the challenge, debuting at the event in 2016. But the first attempt was less than ideal, forcing him to abandon the race with 27 hours left on the clock and 600 kilometres to go. Undeterred, he tried once again the following year, and succeeded in becoming the first Indian to finish the event. “I owe it to Bengaluru’s cycling community. They inspired that passion in me and transformed my life,” shares Gokulnath.
Gokulnath returned to RAAM in 2023, with an aim to better his performance. “I was strong physically and mentally and well prepared compared to 2017. But it was all other aspects surrounding the race, especially logistics and the support crew that played a crucial role,” he adds.
A non-stop race over 12 gruelling days, some of the biggest challenges facing competitors are exposure to severe weather conditions, road accidents, diseases like pneumonia. The race takes riders through varying landscapes, from the scorching deserts of the Southwest to the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains and the picturesque countryside of the Midwest, culminating in a finish on the Atlantic seaboard.
The race is just as much about mental fortitude as physical performances. “The biggest challenge was dealing with my thoughts and pushing away negative ones. I eventually started to just focus on smaller goals,” he adds. As a result, he managed to achieve his goal of reaching the finish line by well over 12 hours quicker than his attempt in 2017. “The most memorable moment is when my supporters waved the Indian flag and welcomed me at Time station 30 Fort Scott, Kansas, and at Time station 41, Oxford, Ohio,” Gokulnath says.