The League of American Bicyclists, Endomondo and Bikes Belong announced this week that more than 30,000 Americans took part in the 2012 National Bike Challenge, with a collective journey of more than 12 million miles that spanned all 40 states.
The initiative encouraged new cyclists to start riding, challenged current bicyclists to ride more and showcased the tremendous health and financial benefits of bicycling.
“The Challenge has given us just a tiny glimpse of the remarkable potential of bicycling to address major social and environmental issues — in a fun and engaging way,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “Every one of the 30,000 participants deserves recognition for the miles they contributed to the impressive grand total — and we look forward to seeing everyone in the saddle for next year’s challenge!”
In addition to encouraging individual riders, more than 9,000 workplaces participated in the Challenge, using the initiative as a free, fun wellness tool for employees. The winners in the workplace categories (based on number of employees) included IBM, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Trek Bicycle Corp, Shimano, Toole Design Group, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and BikeArlington.
Congrats to all those that took part, and congrats to the League of American Bicyclists, Endomondo and Bikes Belong for offering this challenge! List of winners after the jump