A jagged diagonal slash across the country, the Race Across America is a rite of passage for ultra-endurance cyclists. To survive, every competitor must travel over 3,000 miles and climb over 100,000 feet of elevation. They must generate maximum power on their bikes day and night, while managing extreme pain, exhaustion and nutritional challenges. Among its survivors, the race’s unofficial credo is ‘Go like hell - but pace yourself’.

In twenty-seven years, less than 200 riders have finished the race. By comparison, more men and women have successfully summited Everest. Every rider’s body degrades from the start line to the finish line; it’s just a question of how quickly he or she will fall apart, measured against how quickly he or she can reach the finish. It is the ultimate test of a rider’s belief in himself or herself, a pursuit that’s as noble as it is masochistic.