1,147 Miles to The Greatest Race On Earth

1147 Miles: Drive, Fuel Up, Sleep, and Repeat. 

As I prepared for the Greatest Race on Earth, my goal was to ensure that every 1,147 miles from North Carolina to Oklahoma would be smooth sailing. 

The last National race of the season signaled that it was go time. Unlike previous years, I was responsible for transporting our entire team’s pit setup, several teammates’ and friends’ bikes, my twin brother Zachary “Wrenchman” Gavin’s tools and equipment, and, of course, my own gear, bikes, and photography equipment. Time to break out the trailer. 

After two seasons watching Bill Morris and the USABMX crew pack BIG Red, I picked up key trailer-packing tips: make a load plan, group similar items, label totes, and keep tools and straps handy. Everything should have its place, and neatness matters.

Applying all lessons learned, about twenty-four hours before departure, my husband, Raymond Lathan, helped me load everything—a process we affectionately call playing Tetris. He kept me grounded, ensuring I stuck to my plan and offering clever suggestions to prevent anything from falling on the bikes. 

It’s go time — the only leg of the trip I had to do on my own. It was time to head out and pick up my brother, more bicycles, tools, and equipment. Knowing I had even more things to add to what was already packed, it was an hour filled with anxiety, wondering if I had made enough room, especially for five more bicycles. As I rolled into my brother's house, I parked and unlocked the trailer. He nodded, indicating everything would fit, and it did. 52 miles down, at 12:45 pm, 1,095 to go. 

After knocking out many 300 miles, we stopped for a fuel up, and I couldn't help but snap a few shots of my bicycle soaking up some rays during the golden hour. It was also a good time to check the load, the hook-ups, and to clean up those nasty bugs splattered on the windshield and headlights.

Finally, we arrived in Tennessee. It was getting dark, and this was my first call to my husband, asking why the trailer lights wouldn’t come on. Was there a special button or knob? What did I need to do? After he gave his instructions, we realized there might be a problem. 

Stopping our third time along the route at everyone’s favorite, Buckees, we fueled up and checked the cables of the trailer. They were loose; I should have known, but grateful to find the problem. However, I was faced with a new one: Where is my brother? You guessed it: after 45 minutes of waiting, he was sidetracked by all the great things they offer. 

After traveling for hours and countless miles, we chose to stop for the night at a rest stop. It’s not the most comfortable option, but very convenient when you just want to get to your final destination as soon as possible. After tossing and turning all night, the alarm finally went off around 5:30 am, stopping my brother's loud snore, and he suddenly said, “You want to get on the road?” I said, “Yeah — it’s cold, let’s go!” He says, “You know what I forgot? My jacket!” Unlike him, I was prepared. I had plenty. 

Back on the road again, we were smooth sailing through Arkansas until traffic came to a stop. After an hour in traffic, we passed a vehicle that had been in an accident, on fire. After seeing the aftermath of the firefighters putting it out, it was a reminder that you can plan your trip to arrive at a certain time, and anything could happen. 

Arrived. It was the first time I got to witness all the vendors, major brands, and their teams lined up with the big rigs full of equipment to be unloaded. The doors didn’t open until 2:30 pm on Monday, and everyone waited for Shannon Gillette's cue to come in. It was a moment I had always wanted to capture. After patiently waiting for the big rigs, it was our turn, with all hands on deck, from team members to get our first-ever 30”x 40” pit space set up with everything I had hauled. 

Together, we made a pretty cool space. With colored lights, comfy blow-up couches, a display for each of our team members to show off their bicycles, where we would put out stickers and temporary tattoos for people walking by to grab, a big screen to keep updated on the motos, and the list goes on. Not to mention, having our Thanksgiving meal catered — big WIN! We are a young team, and have been learning each year how to do things better. 

I poured countless hours into planning, preparing, and sacrificing for my brother, my team, and the BMX community—far more than words can capture. Yet, I can’t wait to do it all over again. This marked our fourth year attending the Greatest Race on Earth, and it was by far the best yet!