I was a big fan, and remember meeting Haldeman when the race started in Hungtinton Beach when I was a kid. The bike shop at which I worked donated $2000 as a prize to the winner (there was no other prize except bragging rights). Riding in the RAAM was one of my dreams in those days, unfortunately it remained only a dream.
The race this year was indeed quite slow, significantly slower than in the 80's when riders were on steel 12 speed bikes and riding without the benefits of modern riding technology. But I imagine the pandemic at least partially grounded many of the competitors.