The longest canoe race in Michigan is set to take place this weekend with a record slate of paddlers taking on the Au Sable River from Grayling to Oscoda.
The 77th annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon takes place July 26-27, starting in downtown Grayling the night of July 26 with a foot race by competitors to reach the river, and ending the morning and afternoon of July 27 in Oscoda on the shores of Lake Huron.
The 120-mile course is a daunting experience for canoers and spectators alike, with trained professional canoers traversing the waterways, hydro-electric dam portages and more while exposed to unpredictable conditions of the great outdoors.
This year’s race includes a record field of 116 teams, including elite marathon canoe racing athletes from 21 U.S. states, Canada, Great Britain, and Belize, marathon organizers said.
“The AuSable River Canoe Marathon is one of the toughest, most competitive marathon canoe races on Earth and is also the middle leg of the prestigious Triple Crown of Canoe Racing,” organizers said in a Facebook post.
Pre-race favorites may be the reigning AuSable River Canoe Marathon and Triple Crown of Canoe Racing Champs: Guillaume Blais, of St. Boniface, Quebec, and Mike Davis, of Homer, Michigan, race organizers said in a Facebook post.
The defending champs paddled to victory at the first race of the 2025 Triple Crown season, New York’s General Clinton Canoe Regatta, in May.
Last year, Blais-Davis started the Triple Crown season with a third-place finish in New York, but took the 2024 crown by racking up victories at the other two races of the Triple Crown of Canoe Racing series: Michigan’s AuSable River Canoe Marathon, and Quebec’s Classique internationale de canots de la Mauricie, staged over the Labor Day weekend.
Here’s what to know about the race.
When is the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon?
The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon starts at 9 p.m. on July 26, with paddlers canoeing overnight and into the next day, ending July 27, 2025.
“Teams paddle 60 to 90 paddle strokes per minute for 14 to 19 hours non-stop, 120 miles through the night to reach the finish line on the shores of Lake Huron in Oscoda in the late morning and afternoon on Sunday,” organizers say.
On July 27, paddlers should reach the finish line in Oscoda between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., organizers said.
Where does the marathon start? end?
The marathon commences with competitors running through downtown Grayling’s streets with their canoes and plunging into the Au Sable River, a LeMans-style running start, crowds cheering them on as the race begins, according to marathon organizers and Grayling Visitors Bureau.
“Thousands of fans will line the streets and the banks of the AuSable River in Grayling, Michigan for the thrilling 9:00 P.M. LeMans-style start on Saturday, July 26, cheering with excitement as the teams run through the streets with their sleek and stealthy carbon-fiber racing canoes to the river and start the race,” according to organizers.
The nonstop race then continues east along the river, paddlers canoeing to Oscoda on the Lake Huron coast.
What is the AuSable River Festival?
The AuSable River Festival is an annual weeklong summer festival in Grayling. The festival is ongoing and will run until July 26, giving visitors to check out the event before watching the start of the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon.
The festival features vendor booths, live music, Street Eats food court, a parade, informational booths, craft show, a beer tent, a Duck Derby rubber duck race and more.
What is the Au Sable River?
The Au Sable River runs across the northern Lower Peninsula from Grayling to Oscoda.
The 138-mile-long river is a popular fishing destination, taking the No. 1 fly fishing river spot nationwide in a USA TODAY readers ranking. Along with various fish species, the river features boating, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and swimming and the river banks offer campgrounds and hiking areas.
How can you watch the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon?
If you’re up for it, you can watch the marathon in-person by following along the route. Get ready for what the marathon website calls the world’s toughest spectator race.
“The race can be grueling for fans as well as competitors and has been tagged as ‘The World’s Toughest Spectator Race.’ A crowd of thousands follows the pitched competition via roadway through the night, viewing the progress of the race at designated sites along the course,” organizers say.
Most of the race will take place overnight in the dark, so organizers recommend bringing a flashlight, and amid the elements, dressing in layers and bringing rain gear can help prepare for changing weather conditions.
The marathon’s website offers a look at the course map for the race.
There will also be an option to keep up with the race from afar with radio updates on the Marathon’s flagship station 98.5FM WUPS and the Black Diamond Broadcasting Network, according to the marathon website. Check online, as livestream video may be provided on the marathon’s Facebook profile and YouTube channel.
Keep up with race results in real-time online at the marathon’s website.
What is the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon?
The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is a competitive two-person canoe race held on the last full weekend of July each year.
The course navigates the curves and bends of the Au Sable River, including the narrow twisting upper stretches followed by stump-filled backwater ponds and six hydro-electric dam portages several hours later in the dark and the lower stretch in the morning heat, per the marathon and Pure Michigan.
Who gets to compete?
The race’s competitive nature brings in elite professional paddlers from around the world who’ve trained for the marathon’s demanding conditions, per organizers.
Requirements for participants include being conditioned experienced paddlers, having a knowledge of the Au Sable River, a light source to paddle overnight in the dark, a support team to provide food and fluids, a designated support team captain, two U.S. Coast Guard-approved inherently buoyant life jackets/PFD’s and two pea-less signaling devices, the marathon’s website says.
During the race, at certain points paddlers who can’t reach the point within the race’s time limits will be disqualified and asked to leave the river, the website said.
Competitors range in age from 15 to 77. The oldest team has a combined age of 141 years; the youngest team has a combined age of 31. Forty-five competitors have completed at least 10 AuSable River Canoe Marathons, a feat which earns them designation as an “Iron Paddler.”
The field includes eight past AuSable Marathon winners. There are 27 mixed teams and five women’s teams.
How long is the marathon distance?
The marathon runs for 120 miles along the Au Sable River.
What other race events are happening this week?
Festivities for marathon week began Tuesday, July 22, and continue into the weekend, per the event website.
This included Dash for Cash on July 22, day 1 of time trial sprints July 23, day 2 of time trial sprints and the C-1 Express Race on July 24. There will be day 3 of time trial sprints and the Au Sable River Challenge 120 on July 25.
What are the marathon prizes?
The marathon offers a variety of over $55,000 in cash and prizes for the winners, per the spectator guide.
This includes cash prizes for the top 40 finishers, bonus division prizes across eight categories, the break the record bonus and leader’s bonus.
How did the marathon get started?
The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon started as an idea in 1947 among local business and tourism leaders seeking to draw visitors to the region, per the marathon website.
Following a trial run, planning began and the first race was held Sept. 6-7, 1947, the marathon’s website says. The event was originally called the Michigan Canoe Championship, later switching to the current name.
The Lansing State Journal contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: An intense canoe race will soon kick off in northern Michigan. What to know, how to watch
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
