DID YOU KNOW? ~ The Most Challenging Races in the World

Until Alisdair and I read "Geronimo Stilton - The Race Across America," I didn't know about the four "Most Challenging Races in the World."  I can't say I'm planning to enter any of them, as a participant, but they would be interesting to watch as they are run each year!  On Page 15, of the novel, readers are told the following information about the four races:

"1.  THE RACE ACROSS AMERICA is a 3,000 mile bicycle race across the United States.

2. THE VENDEE GLOBE began in 1989.  In this famous race, sailboats sail around the world without stopping.  The race begins and ends in France.

3. THE IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE is an annual sled dog race in which mushers with teams of ten to sixteen dogs cross Alaska from east to west, covering 1,161 miles in eight to fifteen days.

4. THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP is the world's oldest, longest, and most prestigious triathlon.  The first Ironman competition was held in Waikiki, Hawaii, on February 18, 1978.  Competitors must swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles."

***

RECORDS FOR THE RACE ACROSS AMERICA

"Riders can participate in the Race Across America as individuals or as part of a group.  An individual cyclist can travel about 430 miles a day in approximately 22 hours.  In the race's 26-year history, fewer than 200 solo cyclists have finished the race.

* In 1986, Pete Penseyres set a world record for biking 3,107 miles in 8 days, 9 hours, and 47 minutes.

* A cyclist burns an average of 300 calories an hour (a total of 7,000 calories a day) during the race!"