Two Irish cyclists are aiming to become the first Irish 2-man team to complete one of the most difficult endurance races in the world, the Race Across America (RAAM) and in the process raise funds for the Alzheimer Society.

Declan Brassil and Graham Macken are aiming to finish the non-stop race, which takes the riders from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic, in around seven days.

The duo are experienced in endurance events with Brassil having completed RAAM previously as part of a four-man Irish team and along with Macken, they finished in third place in the Race around Ireland in 2015.

“RAAM is the most respected and longest running endurance race in the world,” explains Brassil. “The race is a non-stop assault over 5,200 km from San Diego on the Pacific Coast, across the Mohave Desert, the Rockies, the Great Plains, and the Appalachians, finishing on the Atlantic at Annapolis, Maryland.”

“The race crosses 14 states and climbs over 17,000 vertical metres. There is no other race that matches the distance, terrain and weather. RAAM is one continual time trial. Once the clock starts it does not stop until the finish line. We will ride approximately 750-800 km a day, depending on terrain and weather conditions, and aim to finish in around 7 days.”

Macken explains how he became interested in the challenge on his blog: “It all started when I got a phone call asking if I would crew and do physio for a 4-man Irish team competing in RAAM 2012. At the finish line, I promised myself I would do it and said it out loud so it was cemented! Declan Brassil who was one of the 4-man team said he’d return the favour of crewing but I said I’d rather have him cycling it with me and here we are now.”

“In 2015, we entered Europe’s toughest bike race, the Race Around Ireland, breaking the existing 2-man record. We only managed 3rd on the podium as the competition was fierce and Declan had a very bad crash the first night, a lesser man (myself) would probably not have been able to continue, he was bust up, bruised and bloodied and took a good while to recover fully which made an impossible race all the more difficult. As we rolled into the finish line in Navan we started discussing RAAM. “Let me have a sleep, several showers and a beer and we’ll discuss it properly!””

Macken emphasises how daunting the challenge is as he says: “Twice the distance of the Tour de France in a third of the time. No Irish have attempted 2-man, there’s been fours and eights but no twos so we knew we had to take a professional approach to it. In fact more people have stood on top of Mt Everest than have finished RAAM.”

“We’re being coached by Bryan McCrystal of BMC Coaching, S&C with Bernard Smyth of UltimateConditioning.ie who without doubt is the best in the country at what he does and supplied with everything we need from Spun Cycles & Spun Run in Trim, Co Meath and nutrition from PowerBar.”

“We have a number of sponsors on board and are racing under the names of our two main sponsors as Team Ardstone/Tayto Park LCRC, while the cost of the race has kindly been covered we now want to make as big a push as possible to raise much needed funds for the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland and our local Meath branch.”

“If any companies would like to come on as a sponsor please feel free to call me on 0861617407, your companies logo will be displayed on our jerseys and support vehicles.”

For those looking to give a donation please follow the link https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/race-across-america-for-alzheimers#/?_k=66oviv

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