The Audax brevet format goes back to the early days of randonneuring. In this format, riders ride together at a fixed pace under leadership of one or more captains, and stops, both brief stops and sit down meals, have prescribed venues and a timed schedule. This is in contrast to the allure libre style of randonneuring, where riders ride at their own pace, together or separately, and take breaks as they wish, so long as they pass through intermediate checkpoints as required, and finish within the time event's time limit.
The Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM) sanction events in the allure libre style. The Union des Audax Français (UAF) sanctions Audax style events worldwide (including RUSA's Audax brevets, offered for the first time in 2022), offers finishers' medals for sale, and organizes their Paris-Brest-Paris Audax event. Organizations with "Audax" in their name - such as the Audax Club Parisien, Audax Atlanta, Audax UK, and Audax Australia - use the term "audax" in the original, more generic meaning of an "audacious challenge."
Awards and Distance Credit - Audax events on the RUSA calendar count towards all applicable RUSA awards as if they were RUSA brevets or populaires. For example, an Audax 100km event would count towards Distance, K-Hound, P-12, and RUSA Cup awards, among others.
You can search for UAF-sanctioned Audax events on our calendar by choosing "UAF brevet" under "Event Type" in Search for Rides.
The following summary bullets courtesy of Paul Rozelle, who has organized Audax brevets for the UAF within the US.
Core Aspects
- Common riding pace of 22.5 kph (14mph)
- Scheduled controls of set duration
- Sit-down meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- Homologated by the UAF (l’Union des Audax Français)
Similarities to Allure Libre
- Brevet series of 200/300/400/600 (also 100, 150, 1000, and 1200)
- Events open to all
- Events and riders must follow local laws (e.g., regarding lights and reflective material; requirements for riding on public ways)
- Ridden on approved routes
- Non-neutral support prohibited outside controls
- Paris-Brest-Paris every 5 years (last in 2016; next is 2022 due to pandemic)
- Workers’ rides permitted (3 machines or more)
- Finishers’ medals and other awards
Differences from Allure Libre
- Riding willfully outside the peloton is forbidden
- The peloton is led by route captains
- Route design elements unnecessary to ensure riders stay on-route
- Night-riding discouraged
- Finish times of 7h for 100k (instead of 6h40) 14h for 200K (instead of 13.5h) and 76h for 1000K (instead of 75h)
- Three brevet series for juniors (les aiglons): 20, 30, 40; 50, 60, 70; and 80, 140, 200