Randonneuring
by Silas White
Entry in the Encyclopedia of British Columbia (2001?)

RANDONNEURING - RANDONNEURING is a "challenge" CYCLING sport encompassing competitive and recreational aspects. Cyclists are timed on the total time it takes, including rest, to cover a long distance, usually without outside support. VANCOUVER rider John Hathaway sparked interest in randonneuring in BC by finishing the trans-Canada route in 24 days, 13 hours in 1957 and later by entering the Guinness Book of Records for including every continent during a 81,300-km ride from Nov 1974 to Oct 1976. Wayne Phillips of RICHMOND reduced the trans-Canada record to 20 days in 1977 and to 15 (with motorhome support) in 1982. Since 1979 BC riders have regularly attended the quadrennial world randonneuring event, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonee in France, with Vancouver's Keith Fraser recording the best time ever by a Canadian, 50 hrs, 9 mins in 1995. The Rocky Mt 1200, a BC-Alberta randonneuring event inaugurated in 1996, passes through KAMLOOPS, CLEARWATER, BLUE RIVER, TETE JAUNE CACHE and REVELSTOKE. To 1999,
VICTORIA's Ken Bonner had posted the best times on the popular 1,000-km individual route running from Victoria to PORT HARDY.

Information for this entry was supplied to EBC by Harold Bridge.