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7 days, 15 hrs, 59 minutes. Their official race finish time was Wednesday, June 20th at 9:15 AM ET.
One could say that this morning was quite an adventure as evidenced by their 8.07 mph average speed. Several wrong turns, two flat tires, and lots of comedy. The waiting police escort picked them up for their ceremonial finish. Our four heroes arrived riding four abreast to the podium to accept their awards with Shannon Mahoney in the pouring rain.
This incredible team and their exceptional crew are enjoying their hot showers and a little rest ... FINISH LINE!!
Hoorah for Shannon's Soldiers!!
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Today the team has had to deal with rain which was probably a welcome relief to the oppressive heat of the last few days. The windy, desolate mountain roads of West Virginia were also a challenge as apparently there were times when the riders weren't sure they were still on the route. (Am I the only one that associates West Virginia with the movie Deliverance?). Alcohol is strictly prohibited in the rules of RAAM for the crew and riders but we're told that the chant for a cold, frosty beer is getting louder and louder. I'll buy the first round (and, given the condition of these guys, probably the last). Cathy and I arrived in Atlantic City this morning just in time to see the 2nd place finisher in the Solo division, Wolfgang Fasching, cross the finish line. Very emotional event for a guy who had averaged 22 hrs of pedaling and 2 hrs of rest for the past 8+ days. This was his 8th RAAM and he is a 3 time winner of the event. (A lot of European riders). The finish line is on the historic Atlantic City boardwalk (real wood planks) which we're told is the oldest and longest boardwalk in the country. Reports from the crew of Shannon's Soldiers sounds like they overshot the food requirement for the trip which based on conversations with other teams today sounds pretty common. Local charities and food banks are the big winners here. So we'll be up early tomorrow morning waiting on the Boardwalk for the arrival of Shannon's Soldiers. They'll have a special guest join them on the RAAM photo stand, 10 year old Shannon Mahoney.
Thanks again for your support,
Cathy and Jim
PS: Dan says hi to Lou....what an adventure!
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Hi Folks,
The Angels are approaching Parkersburg WV as I write this. John Hardy and I will be heading into the mountains this evening. The two Bill’s have been doing the day runs and have come across the state of Ohio today. It’s a very hot and humid day so I’m sure they are shot. Luckily there are storms and cooler dryer weather on the horizon. If you’re into Geography John and I rode through Indiana last night and they started in Troy this morning on the west side of Columbus, cut southeast across the state through Athens to Parkersburg, WV. A wonderful thing happened this morning in London Ohio. Amy Curtis Kast and her family were at the time station to meet us and gave us a whole bag of goodies. . .and hugs. They made signs and were a very welcome sight for quite literally sore eyes. I’d like to tell you all that we are fine, in great shape with high spirits and anxious to dive into this last little 550 mile push home. For the most part that is true, however, due to our schedules we are physically and emotionally drained. There is an openness and even rawness to our team’s existence at this point that is hard to describe, but we are a team. . .and we will finish as a team. I think this is just as hard on our crew, if not harder. They are true heroes. My wife and brother are already en route to meet us in western Maryland tonight to provide some relief, and our friend Doug Slemmer is going to join us tomorrow late in the day to help us to the finish line.
Again, words cannot express the appreciation I have for these friends.
I can offer this advice to anyone standing on the high diving board of a life challenge. Jump. You will never know how far you can go if you don’t take the first step. Our marathon team, , ,and now this endurance team, are a perfect testimony to this. I know that it is human nature to place limits on our own capabilities. I have found consistently that whoever you are, those limits are set too low, and in most cases may not even exist at all. Be the change you want to see in the world. . .but more importantly – start the change you want to see within yourself. It’s okay to jump. You’ll never know if you can fly if you don’t take that first little step off the edge.
I’m looking forward to seeing you all soon. Thanks for keeping up with this blog. Thanks too to David Kennedy for attending to these entries and comments.
Proudly riding for a cure,
Steve
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Today started off just like any other. We loaded up the bikes and made our rider team exchanges. Bill Hardy and Bill Edmonds were the riders beginning at 7:30 a.m. We cruised through TS 43, TS 44, and TS 45 which took us all the way to Athens OH. Then began TS 46 with Bill Hardy on the bike. He road 24 miles at 21mph. Next was Bill Edmonds turn for his last 22 of the shift. About 5 miles into the 22 it started to rain…really, really rain. The thunder and lightening began a little to close for comfort and then the it just plain old poured down from the sky. Bill continued through his shift raising his fist to show the rain would not beat him but that he would beat the rain and the hills ahead. It didn’t let up for the remainder of his ride. He continued through puddles almost axle deep. He averaged somewhere in the 18 mph range for his ride. We dropped off the Bill’s and there was Steve Kendra ready for the next shift. Waiting in the rain and just as determined to continue. It is now 16 miles into his ride and the rain has slowed but does continue.
Your RAAM Crew Member,
Trish Hardy
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With just about 500 miles to go, you might be able to see the top of Donald Trump's hair-do in Atlantic City. I'm sure just like any good stable horse, the boys are starting to smell the barn. It's getting closer.
During the past 24 hrs., Shannon's Soldiers crossed into Ohio from Indiana and at the time of this writing are about to leave Ohio and enter West Virginia. They've pedaled over 2,500 miles since last Tuesday afternoon and have just over 500 miles to their Atlantic City destination. They still have the states of West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey in front of them but Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California are in the rear view mirror.
The hot and humid weather are still a problem but actually the average speed has increased today versus yesterday, probably again, because the end is getting closer. Shannon's Soldiers are projected to cross the finish line in Atlantic City between 3:00 am-3:30 am (Eastern Time) on Wednesday morning, June 20. I think they'll be a good contingent of family and friends cheering for them at the finish line but my guess is the guys will want to take a long shower and go to bed. Probably not much interest in hitting the casinos. My wife Cathy and I are catching the red-eye to Philadelphia tonight and plan to be in Atlantic City by noon tomorrow. I'll figure out some way to get my daily update out to all of you.
The enclosed photo shows my brother Pat finishing his leg and handing things over to fellow teammate, Dan Schmidt. These guys have almost completed this unbelievable challenge and they and their support crew are exhausted and running on fumes. When you wake up Wednesday morning, if for some reason you happen to think of Shannon's Soldiers being done with their journey across our country, I hope you grin from ear to ear thinking about what they've accomplished and the important role all of you played in making the purpose of this trip so meaningful to Pat and his daughter Shannon.
My next update will be from ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY!!
Jim Mahoney
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The Angels Cross the Mississippi!
I hitched a ride with this crew at approximately 3:00am Monday morning in Marthasville, MO. John and Steve road steady into the night and early morning hours on the narrow and windy back roads of Missouri. The twist, turns and hills were a challenge….but nothing these two men couldn’t conquer! They had pedaled us all the way to the Mississippi River by about 8:30am, exhausted but determined to cross the river as a team as the picture proves! The hand off was smooth and Bill & Bill caught another gear as we proceeded East on 40 through Greenville, Effingham, and Marshal IL. During this phase of the race the guys pushed through rain for over 50 miles…never letting up! As Bill Edmonds said so eloquently “now this is racing”…ok that’s not a quote but it’s close. We ended our Day at 8:01pm in Putnamville, IN. As John rode off with Ken, Trish and Steve Eastward on Hwy 40 toward Indy land. What a day! GO TEAM!
Connie O
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Happy Fathers Day. Three of the four Shannon's Soldiers riders are fathers and I'm sure they wish they were with their families today.
Today, the team has moved through Missouri into Illinois and soon will be in Indiana. They have just arrived at Time Station #37 in Effingham, Illinois which means they have completed 2,100 miles and have less than 1,000 miles to go to reach their Atlantic City, New Jersey destination. They're 2/3 done.
Oppressing heat and humidity has been the demon for the past two days with daytime highs in the mid 90s with high humidity. These conditions sap strength and accelerate mental and physical fatigue. The weather report doesn't sound much different for tomorrow as they make their way through Indiana and Ohio. Fortunately, the nights are much cooler with temperatures in the 60s.
Based on their progress, Shannon's Soldiers continue to have a predicted arrival in Atlantic City during the morning of Wednesday, June 20th. Please keep them in your thoughts as the reports are that things have gotten a bit fragile. Maybe the riding segments in the cooler temperatures tonight will lift their spirits.
More tomorrow.
Jim Mahoney
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