History was made last month.
Team BEMER — an elite eight-man cycling team — not only won this year’s Race Across America, but they did so in record time.
The previous record for this 3,000-mile race, set by Team Allied Forces in 2013, was an incredible five days, three hours, and forty-five minutes.
When they crossed the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland, Team BEMER clocked in at five days, three hours, and forty-three minutes — breaking the cycling world record by just two minutes.
Follow along as we dive into the astonishing details of this extreme challenge, some quotes and highlights from Team BEMER themselves, and how BEMER therapy helped them come out on top.
The Race Across America has been held annually for the past thirty-five years and remains one of the longest ultra cycling events in the world. “Ultra” cycling refers to races that total at least 4,500km (2,796mi).
In 2013, when Team Allied Forces set the previous record, RAAM’s total race distance was 2,962 miles. This year, when Team BEMER set the new cycling world record, the course was updated to over 3,000 miles.
An additional 119 were added, bringing the total to 3,081 miles.
If that doesn’t sound challenging enough already, the race requires participants to start from one end of the country, cycle across twelve states, ascend a whopping 175,000ft, and end on the opposite side.
The starting line is set in Oceanside, California, and riders who complete the arduous journey cross the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland.
Team BEMER is made up of eight cyclists: Jason Paez, Carlos Casali, Chris DeMarchi, Jason Meidhof, Joshua Stockinger, Randall Coxworth, Philip Tinstman, and Tony Restuccia.
Despite the increase in RAAM’s total distance, these elite endurance athletes managed to break the cycling world record by two minutes, with over 500 bike exchanges throughout the race.
They achieved this spectacular time while maintaining an average speed of 24.91 miles per hour, and their performance was so impressive that the second place finishers were over 800 miles behind them.
Also, believe it or not, the average age of this elite cycling team is 46!
Now, let’s hear from Team BEMER about their experiences at RAAM and how BEMER helped them make history.
“RAAM 2022 was a first for me.With so many unknowns, one thing kept me calm and collected - BEMER.
During RAAM, I was able to count on BEMER during my preparation, for recovery during the event, and even while simply resting in the team motorhome. My legs stayed fresh for the intense and demanding intervals on the bike. Coming back from RAAM 2022, I couldn’t believe how recovered I was.
I won a race 2 days later and the week after I won the Colorado State Masters Crit Championship. BEMER is now part of my daily routine.”
—Carlos Casali
“With RAAM 2022 being such a huge success and using the BEMER every day before, during, and after religiously. I have decided to catch a flight with only my bike and my BEMER to race in the USA Masters National Cycling Championships this weekend in Albuquerque.”
—Chris DeMarchi
As we just saw, BEMER therapy was a big part of each member’s training and recovery program. But what makes it such a powerful performance tool?
BEMER devices send a low-intensity pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) into the body to safely stimulate healthy muscles, which can temporarily increase local blood flow.
With just two eight-minute daily sessions, this enhanced local circulation and muscle stimulation can lead to several recovery, performance, and quality of life benefits, such as:
Even at the elite level, BEMER therapy can give athletes the performance boost they need to outperform the competition.
And as Team BEMER demonstrated last month, the results speak for themselves.
Get in touch with a distributor near you today to learn more.
*These statements have not been evaluated by Health Canada. BEMER does not provide any medical advice or services. This device is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. It should not be used for any purpose other than as described in the user manual. Please consult your own healthcare provider if you have any medical issues.