Rotarian Bob McKenzie of Tulsa, Okla., entered his first bicycle race in 2011 to raise money in the fight against polio, Rotary International?s signature effort.
A few years later, McKenzie organized his own team for Race Across America, advertised as the world?s toughest bicycle race. Riders start in Oceanside, Calif., and bike 3,000 miles across 12 states to Annapolis, Md. Along the way, they?ll climb 175,000 feet, traverse three major mountain ranges and cross four of America?s longest rivers.
The route takes racers through Iola, with a check-in point at Yates Center.