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.

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 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.  -jle