Des Moines Register’s Historic Front Page: RAGBRAI Begins

Des Moines Register feature writer John Karras reports for the August 27, 1973, issue of the launch of the Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride, a stunt he conceived with Washington columnist Donald Kaul. About 200 people joined them for the first edition of what would become the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023. The world’s largest annual bicycle ride, RAGBRAI now draws thousands of cyclists from across the U.S. and as far away as Australia.

Every day this month, as the Register celebrates its 175th anniversary,^e birthday, we share front pages of notable moments in history.