As the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa comes to a close each year, riders say, "It's only 51 more weeks until RAGBRAI."
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When is RAGBRAI 2026?
The last full week of July in 2026 is July 19-25, an unusually early start for the ride. Note that RAGBRAI lists it as beginning July 18 because most riders arrive in the starting town the day before so they can get on the road early on Day 1.
When will RAGBRAI announce its route?
The route is a secret guarded as closely as the gold in Fort Knox. RAGBRAI typically announces its overnight towns at a gala event in late January, capping months of work by the organizers to map the route and line up the ride hosts.
The finalized route, with pass-through towns and specific roads, is announced later.