Texas 4000 cyclists makes way through Camdenton on 4,500 mile journey to Alaska

With riders from Race Across America (RAAM) filtering through the state, it’s easy to take a look at the Texas 4000 racers and just assume that they are part of the 3,000 mile race across the nation.

But Texas 4000 is on a different mission. Made up of students from the University of Texas, Texas 4000 has made epic treks across North America-all to raise money to fight cancer while doing it.

And they have done so for a decade.

On Sunday, June 16, the Ozarks rider team of the Texas 4000 , consisting of 23 cyclists, found themselves stopping in Camdenton to watch riders from RAAM as the courses of the two events converged at the lake. They’re one of three teams who have ventured out from Austin at the beginning of the month.

Over the course of its existence, 395 riders have participated, and in the 2013 trek, 69 riders are making the long journey from Texas to Alaska, beginning in Austin and ending in Anchorage.

It’s a 4,500 mile journey, one that will take the crew roughly 70 days to complete. The teams average about 70 miles a day, and have about eight to ten days for rest. Along the way, the team finds rest in houses of host families who volunteer their homes for their use, local clubs like YMCA or the occasional camp outside.

But at each stop along the way, they can be found presenting locals with information about cancer treatment and prevention and the importance of living an active and healthy lifestyle. In fact, two of the 69 riders are cancer survivors themselves.

To take part in the event, students must raise a minimum of $4,500 for charity, ride at least 1,500 training miles with teammates and volunteer more than 50 hours in the community.

Their trip began on June 1, meaning their is still a long way to go for these cancer-fighting road warriors.

By Ben Peters

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