RAGBRAI 2026 announces 250+ kilometer double loop for America 250

RAGBRAI riders love a challenge, as evidenced by the number of people who increase their Century Loop mileage every year to reach 100 miles a day.

But this year, the Register’s annual bike ride across Iowa will present a double challenge.

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On Day 5, an 83.2-mile ride from Marshalltown to Independence on July 23, already the longest ride, they not only had the option to add 21.1 miles on the Calas Century Loop for a total of 104.3 miles, but also had the option to add up to 76.4 miles on the second loop. A total of 159.6 miles, over 250 kilometers, a number chosen to commemorate America’s 250th birthday.

“I’ve received countless emails and phone calls from riders asking if we could create a 250-mile day to celebrate America,” RAGBRAI Ride Director Matt Phippen said in a statement when announcing the Double Loop Ride on Friday, May 1. “It’s a big undertaking for a week-long ride like RAGBRAI, so we took the spirit of the idea and transformed it into a 159.6-mile loop – the equivalent of 250km.”

Riders who complete the America 250 double loop will receive an America 250 challenge coin and the novel experience of traveling through the town of Jesup three times in one day. They will also gain 4,790 feet of elevation gain.

Among their greatest achievements: They will complete the longest one-day ride in RAGBRAI history, surpassing the 150-mile course set in 1996 to celebrate Iowa’s 150th anniversary.

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Century Loop passengers will receive a total of 3,083 feet of health gain and will receive the customary commemorative badge.

The Double Loop and Century Loop will share some roadway, but Century riders will only make one loop, while Double Loop riders will make two loops on the longer loop, starting in, passing through and ending in Jesup.

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This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: America 250 Double Loop at RAGBRAI 2026 to add more than 250 kilometers