Well, the motivation for riding a 1200 is different for everyone. For me, it means I'm going to hate myself 4 days in a row, so there's that. And for others, it might be the allure of just having nothing other to do than just ride, eat, and sleep.
The Mac 'n' Cheese was certainly an experience of a kind that very few people will have and few organizers are ambitious enough to run. It didn't even start and finish at the same place.
I bumped this because I am still planning my season, but note that it was started last October, so some people might not be watching