The 74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon set for July 30 weekend
GRAYLING — The ConsumersEnergy 74th AuSable River Canoe Marathon returns Saturday night, July 30, as nearly 100 two-person marathon canoe racing teams will run through the streets of Grayling, Michigan to the start of a storied 120-mile and 14 to 19-hour non-stop ultra-endurance event.
Fans will pack the small, north-central Michigan town to cheer on the nearly 200 ultra-athletes as they begin their epic competitive dash into the night.
The torrid pace combined with the non-stop aspect of the AuSable Marathon sets the event apart from virtually all other canoe races. The teams will paddle non-stop for 120 miles while battling the river's natural obstructions, at first in darkness then into daylight, and will portage six Consumers Energy hydroelectric dams.
The winners are expected reach the finish line on the shores of Lake Huron around noon on Sunday, July 31. Timing cut-off deadlines are enforced throughout the race and teams must complete the course within 19 hours to be recognized as Official Finishers.
"We expect that the 2022 edition of the Consumers Energy AuSable River Canoe Marathon will be an exciting crowd pleaser," spokesman Phil Weier said. "The defending champs are back, plus six former AuSable Marathon Champs, overall, are entered in the race."
The defending champs - Jorden Wakeley (31, Grayling, Mich.) and Matt Meersman (44, South Bend, Ind.) - set a new all-time AuSable Marathon record time of 13:54:09 (13 hours, 54 minutes, 9 seconds) in last year's victory. Quebec's powerful duo of Steve Lajoie and Guillaume Blais are among the teams expected to battle the Champs at the AuSable Marathon, the middle leg of the Triple Crown of Canoe Racing.
According to event organizers, up to 50,000 fans are expected to catch at least some part of the race in person. Regular radio updates are carried by Black Diamond Broadcasting's 98.5 UPS-Classic Hits and the other AuSable River Marathon Radio Network stations. There are GPS trackers on each canoe entered allowing online spectators to follow their favorite teams down the 120-mile river course and there is significant social media coverage of the race.
Spokesman Weiler suggests that fans should check out AuSable River Canoe Marathon's Facebook Page or, for a complete look at the Consumers Energy 74th AuSable River Canoe Marathon including in-person and online fan information plus links to other resources, visit the website at: www.AuSableCanoeMarathon.org
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: The 74th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon set for July 30 weekend
