On June 22, Bainbridge High School soon-to-be juniors Matias Francis and Lucas Weyand and college students Meghan Camp and Lydia Weyand became the youngest four-person team ever to complete the grueling Race Across America bike race. They finished their 3,000-mile cross-country trek in 7 days, 12 hours, and 5 minutes.
Matias, Weyand, Weyand, and Camp
The four bikers were part of Team Ben Towne Foundation, which also included crew chief David Stiles and crew members Reid Camp, Steve Francis, Daryl Peloquin, Brandon Strickland, Kris Van Gieson, Kathleen Weyand, and Tim Weyand. The Ben Towne Foundation is a Seattle-based charity that contributes 100 percent of the money it raises to the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research. Team Ben Towne Foundation has so far raised over $80,000 for the foundation.
The Race Across America is known as “the world’s toughest bicycle race,” longer than the Tour de France and done in about half the time. Lucas Weyand said the four bikers “rode 3,000 miles non-stop from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland, relay style.” They maintained an overall pace of just over 16 miles per hour.
Weyand added, “Our crew kept us safe, fed, and motivated 24 hours a day throughout the race.” To learn more about the team’s experiences on the road, visit the team Facebook page here.
On July 4, the team participated in the 4th of July Hometown Parade on Bainbridge. In September, they are planning to hold a celebration and community information event.
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The featured photo shows Matias Francis, Lydia Weyand, Lucas Weyand and Meghan Camp at the finish line.
