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SAN DIEGO, CA (August 21, 2015) — Six ElliptiGO bike riders became the first athletes to complete the 1230-kilometer (764-mile) Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur (“P-B-P”) cycling event on elliptical bikes, according to ElliptiGO Inc. Accomplished ultra-distance cyclist Idai Makaya was the first finisher among the group, establishing the P-B-P record for elliptical bikes at 83 hours and 38 minutes.
“While I am honored to be the first ElliptiGO bike rider to finish P-B-P, all six members of our team who completed the challenge within the 90-hour time limit delivered heroic performances this week,” said Makaya, leader of the ElliptiGO Ultra-Endurance Team. “While we endured the same stiff winds, high heat and sleepless nights as all the other riders, doing so on an elliptical bike takes the challenge to another level.”

Bryan Pate, CEO of ElliptiGO Inc., creators of the world’s first elliptical bicycle, was thrilled that so many members of the ElliptiGO Ultra-Endurance Team completed P-B-P. “Last year, when our customers started talking about attempting the P-B-P I was apprehensive because it sounded impossible to me. Over the past 18 months more than a dozen different ElliptiGO owners took on some of the most challenging ultra-distance rides in the world and convinced me that P-B-P was not out of their reach,” Pate said. “To have six of our eight qualifying riders complete P-B-P on their first try tangibly demonstrates the enthusiasm and dedication of our customers as well as the capability of the elliptical bike.”

An elliptical bike combines the propulsion motion of running with the two-wheeled form of a bicycle. Consequently, it attracts riders from diverse backgrounds. The six ElliptiGO riders who completed Paris-Brest-Paris 2015 were:

• Idai Makaya, 41, finishing time 83 hours, 38 minutes. Makaya came to elliptical cycling from a varied background of martial arts, general fitness training and running. In 2014 he successfully completed the 1,400-km London-Edinburgh-London Audax on an ElliptiGO elliptical bike.
• Billy Grace, 44, finishing time 85 hours, 39 minutes. Grace is a former 800m runner who was forced to give up running due to running-related injuries. He took up elliptical cycling as a replacement form of exercising.
• Stuart Blofeld, 37, finishing time 87 hours, 28 minutes. Blofeld is an ultramarathon runner who has completed as many as four 100-mile ultra-marathons in a single year. In 2014 he completed the Mille Cymru 1000km Audax cycling event (which is considered to be among the toughest amateur cycling events in Europe) on an ElliptiGO bike.
• Alan McDonogh, 57, finishing time 88 hours, 30 minutes. McDonogh is a marathon runner, cyclist and former rower. Rowing and cycling made his back prone to injury, so he turned to elliptical cycling.
• Bill Pinnell, 44, finishing time 88 hours, 30 minutes. Pinnell bought his elliptical bike for fitness and weight loss in 2012. Previously, he had commuted to work on a bicycle, but back pain forced him to give up cycling and he now uses an ElliptiGO elliptical bike instead.
• Carl Nanton, 41, finishing time 89 hours, 40 minutes. Nanton is a cyclist and marathon runner. He uses his elliptical bike to commute to work, which doubles as his main form of transport.

About Paris-Brest-Paris
Paris-Brest-Paris, founded in 1891, is one of the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious cycling events. It takes place once every four years. To qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris, riders must first complete a set of qualifying rides, known as brevets, of 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km within a strict (and challenging) time limit. The event began Aug. 16 and had a strict time limit of 90 hours for successful completion. For more information about Paris-Brest-Paris, visit their website.