Au Sable River Canoe Marathon
Encyclopedia
The AuSable River International Canoe Marathon is an annual 120 mi (193 km) canoe
race in Michigan
from Grayling
to Oscoda
. It first ran in 1947, is perhaps the oldest marathon canoe race in the United States, and is the longest, non-stop, canoe-only race in North America. The race has been billed as “The World’s Toughest Spectator Race” as many of the spectators follow the racers overnight down the full 120 miles (193.1 km) to the finish.
The race is always held the last full weekend in July during Grayling's annual Au Sable River Festival.[To determine the order of the racers the night of the canoe marathon there is a sprint held to determine which of the teams is fastest or slowest. The sprint trials are held at Penrod’s canoe livery. The trials are held the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before the race on Saturday. Each team will head downstream one quarter mile towards the east branch of the river. Once there you must complete a counter clockwise turn around a buoy. Then you must head back upstream to the starting point and the next team does not start until the team finishing reaches a point close to the start buoy. On average this can take from 2 minutes and 15 seconds to 5 minutes. The overall finish times range from about 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 13 minutes. While they are on their way back to the starting buoy they must maintain the amount of buoys on the left side of their canoe. Once all of the teams have finished the sprint trials they will be lined up in groups of five, from fastest to slowest, on the night of the marathon to make the four-block foot race.[2]
The Marathon starts at 9pm in Grayling in a LeMans-style start where the competitors carry their canoes in a footrace four blocks through town to the Au Sable River entry point. Upon reaching the Au Sable River
, they begin paddling non-stop throughout the night. In addition to paddling for 14–19 hours non-stop overnight, competitors must also make portages over six dams along the river race route.
The race record for the current course is 13:58:08 set by Serge Corbin of Quebec and Solomon Carriere of Saskatchewan.
The record for most wins individually is 18 by Serge Corbin (1977 and 1979 w/ Claude Corbin; 1987–1988, 1990-1992 w/ Brett Stockton; 1994-1995 w/ Solomon Carriere; 1996–2003, 2005 w/ Jeff Kolka).
The record for most wins by a team is 9 by Serge Corbin and Jeff Kolka of Grayling (1996–2003 and 2005).
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
race in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
from Grayling
Grayling, Michigan
Grayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
to Oscoda
Oscoda, Michigan
Oscoda is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan located on the northern side of the Au Sable River where it enters Lake Huron. The community of Au Sable is on the other side of the river. Oscoda is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County, and not in Oscoda County, which is to the...
. It first ran in 1947, is perhaps the oldest marathon canoe race in the United States, and is the longest, non-stop, canoe-only race in North America. The race has been billed as “The World’s Toughest Spectator Race” as many of the spectators follow the racers overnight down the full 120 miles (193.1 km) to the finish.
The race is always held the last full weekend in July during Grayling's annual Au Sable River Festival.[To determine the order of the racers the night of the canoe marathon there is a sprint held to determine which of the teams is fastest or slowest. The sprint trials are held at Penrod’s canoe livery. The trials are held the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before the race on Saturday. Each team will head downstream one quarter mile towards the east branch of the river. Once there you must complete a counter clockwise turn around a buoy. Then you must head back upstream to the starting point and the next team does not start until the team finishing reaches a point close to the start buoy. On average this can take from 2 minutes and 15 seconds to 5 minutes. The overall finish times range from about 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 13 minutes. While they are on their way back to the starting buoy they must maintain the amount of buoys on the left side of their canoe. Once all of the teams have finished the sprint trials they will be lined up in groups of five, from fastest to slowest, on the night of the marathon to make the four-block foot race.[2]
The Marathon starts at 9pm in Grayling in a LeMans-style start where the competitors carry their canoes in a footrace four blocks through town to the Au Sable River entry point. Upon reaching the Au Sable River
Au Sable River (Michigan)
The Au Sable River in Michigan runs approximately through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at Oscoda. It is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies and has been designated a blue ribbon trout stream by the...
, they begin paddling non-stop throughout the night. In addition to paddling for 14–19 hours non-stop overnight, competitors must also make portages over six dams along the river race route.
The Triple Crown of Canoe Racing
The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is one of the three marathon canoe races that make up the Triple Crown of Canoe Racing which recognizes the top performances by Marathon Canoe Racers who compete at all three of North America's most prestigious marathon canoe races:- General Clinton Canoe Regatta, staged Memorial Day on New York's Susquehanna River - a one-day, non-stop 70 miles (112.7 km) non-stop race from Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, to Bainbridge, New York.
- Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, one of North America's toughest, richest canoe races, an overnight, non-stop 120 miles (193.1 km) race from Grayling to Oscoda on Northern Michigan's AuSable River during the last weekend of July.
- La Classique International de Canots de La Maurice, staged Labor Day weekend on central Quebec's majestic St. Maurice River - a three-day, three-stage 120 miles (193.1 km) race from La Tuque to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
Winners
(Since 1980)| 2011 | Andrew Triebold, Grayling, MI / Steve Lajoie, Mirabel, Quebec | 14:41:00 |
| 2010 | Andrew Triebold, Spring Arbor, MI / Steve Lajoie, Mirabel, Quebec | 14:17:29 |
| 2009 | Andrew Triebold, Spring Arbor, MI / Steve Lajoie, Mirabel, Quebec | 14:17:42 |
| 2008 | Andrew Triebold, Spring Arbor, MI / Steve Lajoie, Mirabel, Quebec | 14:09:06 |
| 2007 | Andrew Triebold, Spring Arbor, MI / Matt Rimer, Grayling, MI | 14:48:55 |
| 2006 | Jim Harwood, Grayling / Allen Limberg, Wausau, WI | 14:33:50 |
| 2005 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:56:11 |
| 2004 | Andrew Triebold, Spring Arbor, MI / Steve Lajoie, Mirabel, Quebec | 14:59:46 |
| 2003 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:55:03 |
| 2002 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 15:04:56 |
| 2001 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 15:06:48 |
| 2000 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:48:00 |
| 1999 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:08:18 |
| 1998 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:15:47 |
| 1997 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:19:36 |
| 1996 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Jeff Kolka, Grayling, MI | 14:04:05 |
| 1995 | Jim Harwood, Grayling / Patrick Lynch, Shawinigan-Sud Quebec | 14:20:40 |
| 1994 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Solomon Carriere, Cumberland House, Saskatchewan Canada | 13:58:08 |
| 1993 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Solomon Carriere, Cumberland House, Saskatchewan Canada | 14:23:03 |
| 1992 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:33:30 |
| 1991 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada/Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:33:30 |
| 1990 | Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:43:35 |
| 1989 | Al Rudquist, Grand Rapids MN / Randy Drake, Virginia Beach VA | 14:38:18 |
| 1988 | Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI / Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada | 14:20:00 |
| 1987 | Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI / Serge Corbin, Quebec Canada | 14:34:32 |
| 1986 | Butch Stockton, Higgins Lake, MI / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:30:38 |
| 1985 | Butch Stockton, Higgins Lake, MI / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:35:53 |
| 1984 | Butch Stockton, Higgins Lake, MI / Solomon Carriere, Cumberland House, Saskatchewan Canada | 14:20:40 |
| 1983 | Butch Stockton, Higgins Lake, MI / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:38:36 |
| 1982 | Butch Stockton, Higgins Lake, MI / Brett Stockton, Grayling, MI | 14:38:27 |
| 1981 | John Baker, Grayling, MI / Ken Brown, St. Clair Shores, MI | 14:29:01 |
| 1980 | John Baker, Grayling, MI / Ron Williams, Smither, B.C. Canada | 14:48:31 |
The race record for the current course is 13:58:08 set by Serge Corbin of Quebec and Solomon Carriere of Saskatchewan.
The record for most wins individually is 18 by Serge Corbin (1977 and 1979 w/ Claude Corbin; 1987–1988, 1990-1992 w/ Brett Stockton; 1994-1995 w/ Solomon Carriere; 1996–2003, 2005 w/ Jeff Kolka).
The record for most wins by a team is 9 by Serge Corbin and Jeff Kolka of Grayling (1996–2003 and 2005).
See also
- Au Sable RiverAu Sable River (Michigan)The Au Sable River in Michigan runs approximately through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at Oscoda. It is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies and has been designated a blue ribbon trout stream by the...
- Grayling, MichiganGrayling, MichiganGrayling is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Crawford County. The population was 1,952 at the 2000 census. Grayling takes its name from the Grayling fish that was once prevalent in its lakes and streams....
- Oscoda, MichiganOscoda, MichiganOscoda is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan located on the northern side of the Au Sable River where it enters Lake Huron. The community of Au Sable is on the other side of the river. Oscoda is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County, and not in Oscoda County, which is to the...