Ragbrai XVI

Souvenir handkerchief from the 1988 Ragbrai Race in Iowa.

This screen-printed linen map of Iowa shows the approximately 450-mile route of the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI for short. The non-competitive cycling tour across the Hawkeye State began in 1973 and is the largest event of its kind in the world, with approximately 30,000 participants in recent years.

Likely issued as a souvenir to riders, the handkerchief labels the primary stops along the route and notes distances between each day’s official stopping point.