RAGBRAI Riders Zoom Through Dubuque, Conclude 400+ Mile Journey (PHOTOS)

Approximately 20,000 cyclists rolled through the city of Dubuque on Saturday, July 25th to finish out the final leg of RAGBRAI, which started on July 18th in Onawa, IA. The riders who reached the Mississippi River via A. Y. McDonald Park wrapped up their 406.9-mile journey through the state of Iowa.

Initially conceived as the shortest RAGBRAI route in history at just over 391 miles, the trip wound up being 18.2 miles longer due to road construction and closures. Hanging out at the A. Y. McDonald Park "dip site" on Saturday — nicknamed that due to the common practice of riders "dipping" their bike tires in the Mississippi River to mark the conclusion of the ride — I was casually interacting with riders, who explained that the mental toll of the odyssey is as significant or even more-so tremendous than the physical toll.

READ MORE: Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh Talks Impact of RAGBRAI on Dubuque

Steve Pulaski, Y105

About RAGBRAI 2026:

For the first time since 2010, the RAGBRAI route included Dubuque. The largest bike-touring event in the world kicked off on July 18th in Onawa, IA, and riders moved through various Iowa cities and locales over the course of the week. Prior to coming through Dubuque, riders spent the evening of July 24th in Dyersville. Riders started making their way to Dubuque as early as 6:30am Saturday morning.

I arrived at A. Y. McDonald Park around 6:50am on Saturday. For volunteers, media, and those working the dip site on Saturday, Dubuque Police made access to the park very easy via the temporarily closed Kerper Boulevard. From there, it was about a mile walk to the park, where music played, food and drinks were served, and riders were treated to some good ol' fashioned Dubuque hospitality.

Steve Pulaski, Y105

Riders really started to pour into the park in droves around 8am. From where I was stationed, by the Mississippi River, it was something to behold seeing riders roll through the area solo, in pairs, or occasionally large groups of 20 - 40+. Riders cruised down Rhomberg Avenue before making their way to Hawthorne Street, which allowed easy entry to the park.

I was hanging out with KWWL reporter Hery Acosta, who was capturing B-roll footage and interviews for his report, which aired at 10pm that evening. We were treated to the commentary of a plethora of riders, including a Reverend with Louisiana roots, who now lives in Des Moines. This was his first RAGBRAI experience, and he noted how the hospitality he experienced from people at each and every stop made the journey worth it.

Steve Pulaski, Y105

I went live on the Y105 Facebook page a couple of times to give viewers at home the lay-of-the-land. If you didn't leave your house on Saturday, nobody would've blamed you. Various roads in Dubuque were closed, including a large stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue, which made travel not only more cumbersome than usual, but time-consuming as well.

That said, all closed roads in Dubuque were open by later that evening, and the one-day hang-up was made palatable by the clear-and-present joy and appreciation riders of all backgrounds, creeds, and ages reveled in upon arriving at A. Y. McDonald Park. You can find out more about the conclusion of RAGBRAI 2026 on The Des Moines Register's website.