THE ROUTE:

Click HERE to view a map of the route, that will open in a new window. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Click HERE to view a cue sheet of the route, that will open in a new window. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

After all these years of putting on our century, we still have little control over high water, downed trees, paving crews, and cattle stampedes, so these routes are subject to change without notice. Any cue sheet and map released on the morning of the ride will control.

THE SUNRISE IS EXACTLY 100.00 MILES LONG, calibrated with a Jones-Oerth-Lacroix counter, following the same painstaking procedures as the International Olympic Committee and USATF course certifiers. It begins at Rossview High School and moves clockwise through Montgomery County, Tennessee, and three counties in Kentucky - mainly Todd County but also Christian and Logan. The 2008 route duplicates the 2007 route that had fewer turns and less cumulative climbing than the 2006 course, 9% less to be exact.

YOUR FASTEST CENTURY? It easily could be. It should be, because here, you ride faster by maintaining a steady effort over an easy course, not by taking chances. We don’t encourage reckless riding. We also limit speeds, top speeds, by avoiding fast downhills. The century course does have a single quarter-mile rise of 66 feet. All the rest are short and shallow. Yes, we support the lead peloton, but THIS IS A TOUR, NOT A RACE. Obey the laws, be courteous, and use common sense. Judicious just doesn’t have to mean slow.

SOMEBODY MUST HAVE RIDDEN AN ORGANIZED CENTURY FASTER THAN 3:56:11. That's what we thought. But then we scoured the Internet, e-mailed 100 bicycle clubs, and joined a dozen ride forums—all in search of a faster time. So far, no one has come up with one. We won't hang our heads if it turns out we don’t own the record. We're confident this 100-mile course—if it’s not Number One—ranks among the fastest. Your name’s not Lance? It doesn’t have to be. A FAST COURSE IS AN EASY COURSE. That's the point.

A SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING THE ELITE PELOTON (Start time at 6:30 AM):

You must be capable of averaging at least 25+ mph for 100 miles to join the lead peloton. You must do your fair share of the pulling; wheel-suckers will be banished. We've observed unprepared riders going out with the elite group, thinking it will be "cool," but they "bonk" about 50 miles into the ride and have an absolutely terrible time getting home. Don't join this group unless you know that you can average 25+ mph AND can contribute to the pace line. We are not going to attempt to police admission to this group or have you send us your credentials to qualify. You know who you are. For this elite group we offer motorcycle support with intersection control and a trailing sag vehicle with basic energy food and water. We do not offer "MAVIC" style wheel exchanges or repair services. If you flat or have a mechanical, we wave goodbye and you're stuck until regular SAG picks you up.

A rule change: Only solo riders may participate in the elite peloton. Don't get us wrong. We love tandem riders. With strong riders attacking level ground, they are really, really fast. And that's the problem. We can't predict if one or more tandems will participate every year in the elite group. In 2005 we had one tandem in the elite group and they covered 100 miles in 3:53:00. Since then -- no tandems -- and the best time has been  3:56:11.  So we're doing two things: (A) We're recognizing the 2006 event's 3:56:11 as the course record and (B) in 2008 and going forward, only solo riders can participate in the elite group.

Click HERE to learn more about the elite peloton from 2005.
Click HERE to learn more about the elite peloton from 2006.
Click HERE to learn more about the elite peloton from 2007.

FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW: