This newsletter finds our 2008 10th Anniversary randonneur season in full swing. Although some riders have gone on to other cycling or non-cycling pursuits after Paris-Brest-Paris, we have still seen outstanding turnouts at our early events.

Our 2008 calendar has three 1200km Randonneurs Mondiaux events — the Shenandoah in the Mid-Atlantic, the Cascade in the Northwest, and the Last Chance in the Rockies. Some RUSA members are venturing farther afield, to 1200km events in Canada, Australia or Europe. Those preparing for these ultra-distance events and those considering PBP 2011 will be interested in a preliminary analysis of the RUSA survey of PBP 2007 riders on page 14.

I've recently returned from the Flèche Northwest, sponsored by the Seattle International Randonneurs. The flèche is a great event, steeped in tradition and combining the self-reliant ethos of our sport with a great opportunity for teamwork. The report herein from a coed DC team celebrates this camaraderie. It begins on page 15. Volunteer Nate Armbrust aims to update the photo section of our website. The process of collecting photos has begun. See the selection of photos inside for a teaser. We also have instructions on page 6 for submitting your own pictures.

Our membership continues to surge. Membership volunteer Don Hamilton has issued membership number #5000 and we just keep adding more riders to our ranks. For a look at the new recruits, see page 3. Year-round riding continues to thrive, spurred in large part by two volunteer-driven programs. The R-12 medal, currently administered by John Kramer and Bert Lutz, has found its way into many a rider's medal collection. See page 8 for the newest members of this distinguished club. The Permanents program, with Edward Robinson serving as coordinator, opens new places on the map and new dates on the calendar for randonneuring. See page 6 for a look at the 25 most popular routes in 2007.