In the spirit of Alistair Cooke (or, depending on your cultural references, the Proclaimers) our 28 States Route Adviser Sarah Ormerod will be putting together a series of “Letters from America” to give a taste of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that we’ll be experiencing in October and November 2027.  In this first, Sarah gives an insight into the overall concept of the event, and why we’re going where we are.

Dear Adventurer,

America is at a crossroads politically and culturally, with change coming at a breathtaking pace. Regardless of how you feel about the current state of affairs, the toast “May you live in interesting times” rings very true indeed. However, despite what one may believe from watching the news, this is still an incredibly diverse and charming nation, filled with interesting people, most of whom have the same hopes, dreams, and love for family as anyone else you might choose to compare with. This rally is unlike many others in that it is both a competitive marathon event, and a college-level honours course in what America is now, and how it got to be the way it is.

The 28 States route goes from the salty Northern Atlantic coast through America’s rust belt, Great Lakes, agricultural heartland, cowboy country, Mississippi Delta and sandy shores of the Gulf coast, before finishing in the spectacular antebellum queen city of Savannah, Georgia. 28 states is a proper, challenging, Marathon Class rally with good gravel roads, long days, and tough competition. The October / November timing offers the rally quiet roads, incredible autumn colour, good temperatures throughout, and the cultural experience of Halloween in a quaint American town where children still go door to door to trick or treat, and parents light bonfires in the front yard and sip bourbon whilst handing out treats.

The final two legs of the rally take us through some incredible rally stages and quintessentially American small towns. Autumn colour, dirt ovals, and coffee halts in places unexpected, slightly uncomfortable, or downright weird abound. A night in Texas allows us to acclimatise to southern hospitality and charm, before proceeding to New Orleans for a well-deserved rest day, jazz on tap, raucous parties, and Gulf Coast oysters. From NOLA, we head into the deep south, enjoying soul food, mighty oaks, curving gravel roads, whiskey tastings, Crawfish Boils, and pondering the legacy of America’s slave trade, segregation, and the ramifications of that time that can still be felt today. Our final rest day is in Nashville, a vibrant music town that contains the soul of America’s multi-billion-dollar country music industry. Bars and honky-tonks line the main street, with incredible music pouring out of every doorway.

Night halt towns and hotels are selected for character and quirkiness, with the rally visiting places you’ve never heard of. Hotel choice favours the boutique over the mass market when possible.  Major cities span a broad range of vibes and musical tastes for rest days, including Detroit, home of the Motown Sound, New Orleans, the capital of American Jazz, and Nashville, the epicentre of country music.

We are already talking with some world-famous tracks and speedways as well as old Motor City Proving grounds, drag strips, dirt ovals big and small, and a handful of abandoned speedways. Some competitors will want to bring a car built for speed if they wish to make the most of the many tests we have in mind, while others will simply enjoy the ever-changing, wonderful scenery.

The 28 States Marathon is an ambitious rally that will combine pure adventure, long miles, tough competition, and big laughs with an in-depth look at a country few truly understand.

We hope you can join us.