RACE ACROSS AMERICA BEGINS _ The Race Across America (RAAM), an endurance event billed on its web site as “the world’s toughest bicycle race,” kicked off Tuesday (June 16). Competitors in RAAM, which began in 1982, will travel 3,000 miles from Oceanside, California, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, crossing 12 states. In addition to teams of two, four, and eight, a number of solo riders are included on the 2026 race roster. Solo racers, who will ride 250-to-350 miles per day, will have a maximum of 12 days to complete their journey. ( Website. NOTE: Solo started June 16, Team start is Saturday, June 20.) Not only has RAAM proved to be one of the most challenging races in the world, but has become a huge platform for racers to raise awareness and money for charities of their choice. Racers have raised millions since its inception in the early ’80s. In 1982, four individuals raced from the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Empire State Building in New York City. Covered by national television, the race captivated the public’s imagination. Relay Teams were introduced in 1992 and quickly became the most popular and fastest growing segment of the race.
CRAZY SUMMER EVENTS
• July 3-4: The World Wife Carrying Championship in Sonkajärvi, Finland.
• July 4: Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island, New York.
• July 4, 6, 8, 10: The National Cherry Festival’s Adult Cherry Pit Spit Contests in Traverse City, Michigan.
• July 6-14: The Running of the Bulls during the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Spain.
• August 14: The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma County Fair in California.
MONSTROUSLY MARKED-UP PRODUCTS
• Razor blades: They cost as little as 25 cents to make but consumers are charged up to $4 a piece.
• Bottled water: For the price of a single bottle of Evian bottled water, you could pay for 1,000 gallons of municipal tap water.
• Wine in restaurants: The average retail markup on a bottle of wine in a restaurant is 300 percent.
• Diamonds: Retailers mark up diamonds between 50 and 200 percent.
• Wedding dresses: They retail for at least 100 percent more than the wholesale price.
• Popcorn: When a consumer has no other option, he’ll pay the 1300% markup on a large tub of theater popcorn.
• Designer handbags: High-end designer handbags can have markups of up to 1,000 percent over production costs.
