RAGBRAI postpones until 2021

Posted Apr 20, 2020
3,791

Based on the extreme disruption COVID-19 we didn’t feel it was responsible to move forward and put the safety of our riders, crew, communities, or residents of Iowa

Your pulse-check was correct. This was the results from the poll we posted last week.

Will RAGBRAI happen this year? (979 votes)

28% - yes
72% - no

RAGBRAI will postpone 2020's event until 2021

We feel this is the right decision. With almost 400 cases of Covid-19 just in Iowa on April 19th and we have not peaked yet.

Taking the chance to bring thousands of cyclists from all over the world into small Iowa towns so close after a world-wide pandemic would not be safe for anyone. Plus, we don't know if the pandemic will be over by then.

Then there is the logistics of making RAGBRAI happen. It takes 6+ months of planning for each city to become ready for RAGBRAI. Right now, the overnight and pass-through towns have much more to worry about than RAGBRAI in July. Even if the pandemic is 'clear' by June, that doesn't leave enough planning time for a well-tuned RAGBRAI.

KUDOS to Dieter, Ann and the rest of the decision-making crew to postpone for this year. While we are sad that RAGBRAI will not occur in 2020, but we believe this is the right decision.

Announcment

This is what was posted to the RAGBRAI Facebook Page at 10:00 am ion April; 20th

RAGBRAI Nation,

As we’ve watched the impact COVID-19 is having on the world, we’ve continued to plan and adjust our timelines, hold key conversations with our trusted partners, and determine the best course of action for all parties involved.

After deep consideration and collaboration with the eight overnight town executive committees, government agencies, the public health department, and official business partners of RAGBRAI, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone RAGBRAI XLVIII to 2021.

The safety of our riders has always been the most important focus for our RAGBRAI team and we feel the decision to postpone to 2021 is the right one. We strongly feel that this is in everyone’s best interest.

RAGBRAI takes months of planning and preparation. Based on the extreme disruption COVID-19 has had and will have on the planning, we didn’t feel it was responsible to move forward and put the safety of our riders, crew, communities, or residents of Iowa at risk.

While we wish we were biking across Iowa this July, our resolve is to make 2021 even better and we look forward to lifting up these communities when it is safe.

The RAGBRAI XLVIII route will remain the same for 2021. The towns along the route have already put a substantial amount of work and resource into planning and will have the opportunity to showcase their communities in 2021. The full route with meeting and pass-through towns will be announced at a later date.

You can view our full statement which includes refund options and a detailed FAQ at RAGBRAI.com/registration.

WHAT’S NEXT?

RAGBRAI is planning several ways to stay connected this year in lieu of the ride. More details about a weekend fall ride and more will be released this spring.

We understand how disappointing this news feels. Please know that we didn't take this decision lightly. We have spent the last month and a half talking to our partners, reworking our timelines and while biking continues to be one of the safest things to do right now, we couldn't take a risk that would endanger even one person come July.

We appreciate your unwavering support over the past 47 years and we will be in touch this spring with some exciting new opportunities!

Sincerely,
your RAGBRAI team