The Can-Am Challenge is an award earned by finishing both a Canadian and a US 1200km or longer Randonneurs Mondiaux sanctioned Grand Randonnée in a single calendar year.
List of Recipients Alphabetically by Year – updated April 2021
| Year | Surname | First Name | Country | US Event | Canada Event | US & Can Ultras |
| 2017 | Akbarian | Hamid | USA | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Bernhardt | Luis | Can/USA | CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Donaldson | Paul | USA | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Graham | Larry | USA | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Haddad | James | USA | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Munekata | Toshihisa | Japan | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Olson | Bill | USA | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2017 | Slocum | Chris | USA | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | |
| 2017 | Sturgill | Mike | USA | NC: Carolina Spring | Granite Anvil | |
| 2016 | Auriemma | Philip | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | Bernhardt | Luis | Can/USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| FL: Cracker Swamp | ||||||
| 2016 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 4 Ultras |
| CO: Colorado High Country | Swan River | |||||
| 2016 | Dixon | Emma | USA | TX: Texas Rando Stampede | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | Dixon | Jonathan | USA | TX: Texas Rando Stampede | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | Flannery | Cary | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| FL: Cracker Swamp | ||||||
| 2016 | Gernez | Raphael | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | King | Dave | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | Munekata | Toshihisa | Japan | FL: Cracker Swamp | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2016 | Nguyen | Thai | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountian | |
| 2016 | Sturgill | Michael | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Colorado High Country | ||||||
| 2016 | Watts | William | USA | TX: Texas Rando Stampede | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2014 | Auriemma | Philip J | USA | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Baker | Gary | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| TN: Nashville Natchez Trace 1500 | ||||||
| 2014 | Butt | Clyde | USA | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| NC: Taste of Carolina | ||||||
| 2014 | Driscoll | Dan | USA | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Fraser | Keith | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Goodison | Bob | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Green | Bill | USA | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Guzman | Jaime | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Hoover | George D | USA | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | King | Dave | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Knutson | Ken | USA | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Oswald | John | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2014 | Person | Ed | Canada | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| WA: Cascade | ||||||
| 2014 | Rupar | David | USA | CA: California Central Coast | VanIsle | |
| 2013 | Akbarian | Hamid | USA | VA: Shenandoah | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| NC: Taste of Carolina | ||||||
| 2013 | Bevan | Roland | USA | CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2013 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Bruce | Bob | USA | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Hoeltzenbein | Peter | Canada | PA: Endless Mountains | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Jagel | Don | USA | CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| PA: Endless Mountains | ||||||
| 2013 | Koen | Bob | USA | CO: Last Chance | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Miwa | Makoto | Japan | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Olsen | Bill | USA | TX: Texas Rando Stampede | Granite Anvil | 6 Ultras |
| VA: Shenandoah | ||||||
| CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | ||||||
| AK: Big Wild Ride | ||||||
| NC: Taste of Carolina | ||||||
| 2013 | Overduin | Liz | Canada | NC: Taste of Carolina | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Sturgill | Michael | USA | PA: Endless Mountains | Granite Anvil | |
| 2013 | Thomson | Dave | USA | VA: Shenandoah | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| CA: Gold Rush Randonnée | ||||||
| 2013 | Verstegen | Jos | Netherlands | PA: Endless Mountains | Granite Anvil | |
| 2012 | Andersen | Carl | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Beebe | Ward | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Ken | Bonner | Canada | WA: Cascade 1240 | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: High Country | ||||||
| 2012 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | CO: High Country | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Chin-Hong | Patrick | USA | NC: Taste of Carolina | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Danicek | Will | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Fleck | Chester | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Fraser | Keith | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Goodison | Bob | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Himshoot | Ron | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Inagaki | Mitsuaki | Japan | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Kramer | John | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Litt | David | Japan | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Midura | Larry | USA | NC: Taste of Carolina | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Olsen | Mark | USA | VA: Shenandoah | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Olsen | William | USA | VA: Shenandoah | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | O’Neill | Matthew | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Press | Nigel | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Scharffenberg | Del | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Thomas | Mark | USA | CO: High Country | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Thompson | W. David | Canada | VA: Shenandoah | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Trason | Anne | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2012 | Wyne | Theo | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2010 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2010 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | VA: Shenandoah | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2010 | Jensen | Jan Erik | Sweden | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2010 | Knutson | Ken | USA | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2010 | Nichol | Keith | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2010 | Olsen | Mark | USA | VA: Shenandoah | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2010 | Olsen | William | USA | VA: Shenandoah | VanIsle | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2010 | Russell | Thomas | USA | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2010 | Van Duyn | Guido | Canada | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2009 | Baker | Gary | Canada | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Bell | Carol | USA | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Bonner | Kenneth | Canada | CA: Gold Rush Randonnee | Ultimate Island Explorer | 4 Ultras |
| CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |||||
| 2009 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | 5 Ultras |
| CO: Boulder | ||||||
| PA: Eastern | ||||||
| VA: Northern | ||||||
| 2009 | Cernak | Wayne | USA | VA: Northern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Chase | Barry | Canada | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Courtney | Greg | USA | VA: Northern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Dusink | Hans | Australia | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Felton | Dick | Canada | VA: Northern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Knutson | Ken | USA | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Koen | Bob | Canada | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Morris | John | USA | VA: Northern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Mudrakoff | Jeff | Canada | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| VA: Northern | ||||||
| 2009 | Muoneke | Vincent | USA | PA: Eastern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Olsen | Mark | USA | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | 5 Ultras |
| CO: Boulder | ||||||
| PA: Eastern | ||||||
| VA: Northern | ||||||
| 2009 | Olsen | William | USA | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | 5 Ultras |
| CO: Boulder | ||||||
| PA: Eastern | ||||||
| VA: Northern | ||||||
| 2009 | Smith | Maurice | USA | CA: Davis | Granite Anvil | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Boulder | ||||||
| 2009 | Thompson | W.David | USA | VA: Northern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2009 | Welsh | Rob | USA | PA: Eastern | Granite Anvil | |
| 2008 | Barill | Tracy | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2008 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2008 | Chase | Barry | Canada | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2008 | Goursolle | Kitty | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Haynes | Martin | Australia | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Huffman | Sam | USA | CO: Last Chance | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Kramer | John | USA | CO: Last Chance | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Olsen | Mark | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2008 | Olsen | William M. | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | 4 Ultras |
| VA: Shenandoah | ||||||
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2008 | Read | David | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Roehrig | Mark Jay | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Scharffenberg | Del | USA | WA: Cascade | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2008 | Schroeder | Henrik | USA | VA: Shenandoah | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2006 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | 4 Ultras |
| MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | ||||||
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2006 | Bouhuyzen | Henk | Canada | FL: Cheaha Challenge | VanIsle | 4 Ultras |
| MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | ||||||
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2006 | Guth | John | USA | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Guth | Nancy | USA | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Knutson | Ken | USA | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Kramer | John | USA | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Kuchenmuller | Manfred | Canada | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Midura | Lawrence | USA | CO: Last Chance | VanIsle | |
| 2006 | Wallace | Dan | USA | WA: Cascade | VanIsle | 4 Ultras |
| MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | ||||||
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2004 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2004 | Kaiser | Kevin | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2004 | Knutson | Ken | USA | CO: Last Chance | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2004 | McLeod | Grant | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2004 | Ohlwiler | Scott | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2004 | Salonen | Jukka | Finland | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2004 | Strong | David | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2004 | Waddell | Robert | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Bates | John | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | 3 Ultras |
| CO: Last Chance | ||||||
| 2002 | Gray | Robert | UK | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Laidlaw | Danelle | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Lake | John | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | McLeod | Grant | Canada | CO: Last Chance | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Pauw | Nancy | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Pritchard | Marc | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Thomas | Mark | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Wiedle | Brian | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2002 | Zaborac | Greg | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Bonner | Ken | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Eason | Jack | UK | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Kuchenmuller | Manfred | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Loewen | Arvid | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Lundgaard | Stig | Denmark | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Main | Kevin | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Peterson | Kent | USA | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 2000 | Portway | Oliver | Australia | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 1998 | Smith | Glen | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 1997 | McLeod | Grant | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain | |
| 1996 | Préfontaine | Réal | Canada | MA: Boston-Montreal-Boston | Rocky Mountain |
List updated by Eric Fergusson and Dave Thompson in April 2021.
No riders qualified for this award 2018-2020.
Original Pin – awarded 1997 to 2010
Current Pin – awarded 2012 forward
History – The award started as a cooperative initiative between Réal Préfontaine (vice president of Randonneurs Mondiaux at the time) and Jennifer Wise, event director of Boston-Montréal-Boston and RM president, as a way to promote 1200k’s in North America, build a sense of community, and give an added challenge to “overachieving” randonneurs.
The inspiration for the award came in 1997, when Dr. Préfontaine succeeded in finishing both the Rocky Mountain 1200 and Boston Montreal Boston, his personal Can-Am challenge, as he described it in a 2006 article in American Randonneur: http://www.rusa.org/newsletter/03-01-06.html.
At that time, there were only two 1200k’s in North America: BMB, begun in 1988, and the Rocky Mountain 1200, begun in 1996. Riding more than one 1200k in a year seemed exceptional to say the least. Now, of course, there are multiple Canadian and US 1200k’s, and multiple riders who succeed at two or more 1200k’s in a single year. So the Can-Am Challenge can be seen as a harbinger both of increased event organizer and rider aspirations in the ensuing years.
by John Lee Ellis
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