Officials with RAGBRAI (the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), announced Saturday night, the route for this year’s ride from 20-miles east of the Missouri River to the Mississippi Rivers, will start from Le Mars July 19th, and end in Clinton on the 25th., In between, riders will stop overnight in Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waterloo, Anamosa and Maquoketa. Clocking in at 420.3 miles with 12,306 feet of climb, the 48th edition of this roving cycling celebration will be the sixth shortest in ride history. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be too easy — with the route coming in as No. 29 for most feet of climb, bicyclists should plan spring training rides with Iowa hills in mind. Le Mars, Maquoketa, Iowa Falls and Waterloo have all served as an overnight stop through the years, they haven’t hosted RAGBRAI in at least a decade.

The full route, including pass-through towns and vehicle directions, is expected to be released in March.  RAGBRAI officials announced also, that this year’s ride would be dedicated to Jim “Greenie” Green, a former ride director who died in June after suffering a stroke two years earlier. RAGBRAI was founded in 1973 by two Des Moines Register columnists, John Karras and Donald Kaul, who died in 2018 during the week RAGBRAI was ambling across the state.

For more information, following the event on social media or the official website.