Racing Across America

6 Days, 6 Hours, 43 Minutes. Cyclists Lucas Clarke And Colin O’Brady Tag-Team Their Way To A World Record 

By Reid Neureiter
For the GPHN

Many eyes were on Paris last month watching astonishing feats of Olympic athleticism.

But earlier this summer, Park Hill cyclist Lucas Clarke was focused on another life goal: breaking a world record with his childhood friend, Colin O’Brady. The two men targeted a cycling record—to be the fastest two-person team to ride bicycles across the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic — in the famous Race Across America (RAAM).   

Beating the world record meant riding more than 3,000 miles in just over six days, 24 hours a day, in a tag-team struggle, with one man riding while the other was sleeping and eating. The effort took a year of intensive physical and mental training. Not to mention, planning, balancing jobs, family schedules and all the other life priorities. 

Clarke’s latest feat comes a year after he won two separate extra-grueling gravel bicycle races — the 200-mile Unbound Gravel and the 142-mile Steamboat Gravel Race. O’Brady is an endurance athlete and two-time Everest summiteer. The two have been friends since first grade in Portland, Oregon. 

They called their team “Sub-6” – with the goal of covering the course in under six days. The race started around the time of the summer solstice in mid-June, to maximize the hours of daylight for the endurance athletes.  

Clarke spoke to the Greater Park Hill News about his world-record ride.

Greater Park Hill News: Exactly how far was the RAAM race, from where to where?

Lucas Clarke: The race has been going on for 43 years. It starts in Oceanside, California and this year it ended in Atlantic City, New Jersey — 3,064 miles covering 13 states and cutting across the country diagonally.  

GPHN: You have said that the effort involved a whole team of people supporting you. How did it work?  

LC: We had a crew of 15 people total, including Colin and myself. The main roles were; drivers, navigators, physical therapists/chiropractors, photographer/videographer, RV support, and our race director/coach. The team was spread across three different vehicles: a 33-foot RV that served as our race HQ and sleeping quarters for the crew, and two 15-passenger vans that we heavily modified, adding beds, hanging organizers, coolers, etc. The vans directly followed each rider when we were riding, keeping us safe as well as providing moral support.  

GPHN: Describe the actual logistics of the record-setting effort.

LC: From rider pacing to transitions to crew care, food, and nutrition, it is a rolling circus of problem-solving, with everyone on the team pitching in to have a successful race. Colin and I had shifts ranging in time from 90 minutes to two hours depending on terrain, possible transition points, weather, and pace. 

GPHN: What is the calorie intake/fueling required for such an effort?

LC: A lot of our calorie intake was happening on the bike — bottles with carb and electrolyte combinations, gels, and bars. Then when we were in the vans we would be eating small “meals” to stay consistent with consuming solid foods, like small burritos, PB&J sandwiches, rice and pasta. We were also drinking protein shakes and the vitamin-rich super greens drink, AG1.  

GPHN: What were the most difficult points and what particular big (or biggest) challenge did you have to overcome? Weather? Wind? Temperatures? Trucks?

LC: Oh man, there were so many little things to overcome, from the van getting a flat tire to 110-degree temps in eastern California and Western Arizona to the 25-30 mph crosswinds in Eastern Colorado and all of Kansas. We also were riding on some very sketchy roads/highways with 18-wheelers buzzing the follow van and us as riders, dodging debris in the road, potholes at night, and animals running in front of us. I bunny-hopped a possum at one point. We were joking around that Race Across America is 3,064 miles and there were 3,064 problems/obstacles to overcome to get this world record.  

GPHN: Were there particular locations or parts of the country that were particularly memorable for you?  

LC: One of the incredible things about Race Across America is you get to see and experience so many beautiful parts of our country. Monument Valley at sunset absolutely blew my mind. It felt like a magical, out-of-body experience. I also had one morning riding into the sunrise in Kansas that embodied the beauty of the American West for me. There was corn for as far as the eye could see, not a single car on the road except for us, and a massive three-mile long double stacked train slowly making its way to a grain silo in the distance, the sky lit up in purple, orange and red as the sun crested the horizon. It was unbelievable.  

GPHN: Your aspirational goal was under six days, which you almost accomplished. But you got the record. Exactly how long did the journey take and what was your average speed?  

LC: Yes, our primary goal was to break the record, which we did. Our time was six days, six hours and 43 minutes. We averaged 20.33 mph and the previous record average was 19.85 mph. We broke the record by roughly five hours, so when we finished the previous record holders from 2019 would have been 120 miles behind us.  

GPHN: What kind of reception did you get from folks as you crossed the country? Did people know what you were doing?

LC: We have a great network of sponsors, friends, family and social media followers. During race week, Ali, our video/photo wizard was posting videos and photos at a breakneck pace, which amplified our reach. We got thousands of people reaching out and hundreds of thousands of people following along. It was so uplifting to read comments from friends as well as strangers sending us positive vibes as we raced across America.

GPHN: Was there ever a point where you thought “this is just too hard” and considered giving up?  

LC: There were many moments where the journey was tough but I never felt like I wanted to give up. There were moments where I wanted to stop riding for a short period of time but then I realized, I only needed to ride 30 or 40 more minutes, and then my shift was done and Colin would take over.  We decided before the race that no matter what, no matter how hard it got we were never giving up, we were riding for each other, we were riding for our team, we were riding for the friends and family that had supported us over the last year and for our sponsors and supporters.

GPHN: Describe the feeling you and Colin shared as you crossed the finish line in Atlantic City.

LC: It was a moment of pure joy, fulfillment, and accomplishment. We rode into the arms of the whole crew, screamed, cried, hugged, and looked in each other’s eyes. We did it! We are world record holders. It was an incredible feeling that I will carry for the rest of my life. 

I would also like to add a huge “thank you” to my wife Lindsay, my kids and my family for believing in me and allowing me the time and space to pursue this adventure and make this world record a reality.

Note: Last year’s story about Lucas Clarke’s gravel-racing cycling wins can be read at greaterparkhill.org/lucas-clarke-has-just-one-speed.