The Event

RAIN is a one-day bicycle ride across Indiana. The 160-mile course runs mostly on the Historic National Road (US 40), an older, divided four-lane road with light traffic and gentle rolling hills. The ride begins on the campus of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) in West Terre Haute, Indiana, and crosses the state to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. You should condition yourself for this ride, limit your time off the bike during the ride, and be able to maintain a rolling average at least 14 mph for 12 hours.

All riders must register to participate in RAIN. Your early registration ensures purchased merchandise will be available the day of the event and that rest stops are properly stocked and staffed. Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, so plan appropriately. Your entry fee includes: RAIN rider t-shirt; rider flag with your number; 5 rest stops during the ride, one including lunch; food at the finish; and a coveted finish line souvenir. Participants must wear a bike helmet.

Find everything you need to know below:

Saturday Morning Schedule and Start Line

RAIN starts at 7 am at SMWC at US-150 and St. Marys Rd., Terre Haute, Indiana (see SMWC Start Detail Map). Ride schedule:

6:55 am: pre-ride briefing   /  7 am: start of RAIN   /   9 pm: course closed

Riders should estimate their expected finish time and line up according to the signs posted along the starting line queue.

Please park vehicles only in designated areas of SMWC.

Rider Packets

Friday packet pickup is from 4 to 9 PM, and on Saturday, the day of the ride, is from  5:30 to 7:30 AM. Pickup on both days is at SMWC inside Le Fer Hall (see SMWC Start Detail Map).

Rider Numbers

To have access to rest stops, to receive lunch, and to have a time recorded at the Earlham College finish line, a rider must have a number attached to the right-back side of jersey. Please do not lose, mangle, or crumple your rider number, because the bar code on it must be used to record your time at the finish line.

Safety

As stated in your signed waiver, helmets are required. All law enforcement and emergency medical services along the route have been notified of this event. CALL 911 for emergencies. All traffic laws and instructions from uniformed officers must be obeyed. Riders should exercise extreme caution when riding in a pace line or following other cyclists. No handouts allowed from moving personal support vehicles (PSVs). No riding alongside PSVs. RAIN does not provide SAG vehicles. Please plan accordingly. Please be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious or dangerous behavior to a RAIN representative. RAIN proceeds regardless of weather. However, cyclists should seek shelter in case of severe rain and wind. In case of lightning, seek shelter in a public building or stay in your PSV; avoid standing in open fields or on the top of a hill; and stay away from metal fences as well as isolated tall trees or other tall objects.

Etiquette

Respect our hosts by removing cleats before entering buildings, by honoring no-alcohol policies, and by using designated restrooms (not lawns). Both riders and PSVs should obey the 3-foot rule when passing cyclists.

Route

Signage and roadway markings clearly mark the route. In addition to the signs, a painted raindrop on the pavement containing an “R” indicates a turn with the narrow “point” of the drop.

The 2023 RAIN route maps and cue sheets are found here. GPS route files are found here, where the route may be downloaded in a variety of bike computer GPS formats. There are several areas of road construction along the RAIN route this year, so please use caution when you ride through them.

Two construction areas require detours. Just before rest stop 3 at Franklin Township school, a portion of Edgewood Drive is closed to all traffic—see the map here for details on the detour. At Centerville a bridge is being repaired, and a detour from the normal route is required—see the map found here for details on the detour. 

If you have a personal support vehicle (PSV) assisting you, it is your responsibility to ensure your support crew reads and follows the PSV Guide and drives only on the PSV route. 

Bicycle Repair

Riders are expected to be able to perform minor repairs (like changing a flat tire) themselves.  For supplies or major repairs, bike shops along the route are:

J’s Bikes (Terre Haute)
164 West Honey Creek Parkway
Terre Haute, IN
812-234-1969
Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m; Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Crossroads Cyclery (Terre Haute on RAIN route)
1102 Ohio Street
Terre Haute, IN
812-242-BIKE
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m; Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Gear Up Cyclery (on US 40, one half mile east of RAIN route and on PSV route)
124 W. Main St.
Plainfield, IN
317-203-5045
Saturday from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Family Bike Chain (on US 40 one-half mile east of the RAIN route and on PSV route)
109 East Main St.
Greenfield, IN
317-462-6008
Saturday from 10:00 am– 4:00 pm

Rest Stops

Water and Gatorade will be provided at all rest stops. Foods such as fruit, nuts, PB&J, cookies, etc. will be available at all stops except #4. A grab-and-go lunch is provided at the lunch stop. Anticipated rest stops are:

Rest Stop 1: mile 40 / 8 – 11 am
South Putnam High School / 1780 East US 40, Greencastle / Food/Drinks

Rest Stop 2: mile 65 / 9 am – 1 pm
Plainfield Community Middle School / 709 Stafford Rd., Plainfield / Food/Drinks

Rest Stop 3 (Lunch Stop): mile 94 / 10 am – 3 pm
Franklin Township School District Offices / 6019 S. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis / Lunch

Rest Stop 4: mile 115 / 11 am – 5 pm
Greenfield / NO PSV ACCESS / Drinks and a few snacks

Rest Stop 5: mile 133 / 11 am – 7 pm
Dunreith Volunteer Fire Department / 213 Washington St., Dunreith / Food/Drinks
Limited parking available at this stop. PSVs should park in the lot before reaching the fire station or off the shoulder of US 40.

Finish

The finish line (mile 160) at Earlham College (801 National Road, Richmond) will close at 9:00 pm EDT. Riders’ times are recorded when they cross the finish line. After that they need to SLOW DOWN, enter the lane in single file, allow RAIN staff to record their rider number, and proceed to collect their finisher’s medal. To ensure accurate time recording, it is crucial that riders follow the directions of RAIN staff. Restrooms and showers are available at the Earlham Athletics and Wellness Center. See the Earlham College Finish Detail Map for picking up riders at the Earlham College finish line. Earlham is a dry campus and participants and their crews are asked to respect the no-alcohol policy.

RAIN Results

See 2023 finishers by name and by time.

Here are the 2022 results by name and by time. Most ride results going back to 1996 are available here.

Training Tips

People from their early teens to age 70 and up have ridden RAIN. See the Training Tips page to get some ideas on how it CAN be done!

Contact Information and How to Volunteer

Visit the Contact page to email your questions. If you would like to volunteer to help at our event, a SignUpGenius list of volunteer opportunities will be posted soon.