Oceanside, CA, to Serve as Starting Line for Bicycle Endurance Race

Race Across America (RAAM), the world's toughest endurance bicycle race, is celebrating its 33rd year and leads off from Oceanside, Calif. for both solo and team racers. The riders will go 3,000 miles coast-to-coast race ending in Annapolis, Md. This is the largest field of solo racers in the history of RAAM.

In addition to the solo racers, The Race Across The West, departs the same day and has 17 teams and 10 solo racers who will race 860 miles on a portion of the RAAM course from Oceanside, CA to Durango, CO.

"This is the 7th Annual Race Across The West, and it gives athletes an opportunity to experience endurance cycling as a solo or team participant (2 or 4 person team). Much like RAAM it gives you the challenge of distance, yet is much more feasible to achieve," Comments Rick Boethling from RAAM.

Following the departure of solo and RAW athletes, will be 51 teams who depart from the Oceanside start line on June 14th.

“We are proud to be the host city for RAAM's start.  With our outdoor healthy lifestyle and myriad of active sports and recreation, it's an ideal fit for Oceanside's personality. Our beautiful beaches and historic pier provides a spectacular backdrop for this major endurance race that brings athletes from all over the world to our small beach community," said Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside.

RAAM and SOUL EVENTS are world leaders in the sport of endurance bicycle racing. The team is responsible for the Race Across America (RAAM), the world's premier ultra-endurance bicycle race, a 3000-mile coast-to-coast race across the USA, as well as the Race Across the West (RAW), an 860-mile race across the Western US, the RAAM Cycling Challenge Series, and the 6-12-24 Hour Endurance Time Trail World Championships. In addition, they offer seminars on endurance bicycle racing and sanction endurance races worldwide. www.raceacrossamerica.org

About Visit Oceanside: Visit Oceanside Conference and Visitors Bureau is the official tourism marketing organization in Oceanside, Calif; promoting travel to the city for both leisure and group visitors. The organization influences more than $60 million in visitor spending in Oceanside each year, which supports nearly 700 tourism-related jobs. Visit Oceanside also operates one of the state's official California Welcome Centers. With just one stop, visitors can find local, regional and state maps, purchase discount tickets to major Southern California attractions, make hotel reservations or shop for the perfect California keepsake. The Visit Oceanside CVB and California Welcome Center- Oceanside are conveniently located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway.  For more information, please call (800)350-7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org.