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The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon, presented by Consumers Energy, (also stylized as the AuSable River Canoe Marathon) is an annual canoe race in 
Since 1971, the race has been held during the last full weekend in July, during Grayling's annual Au Sable River Festival. To determine the starting position of the racers for 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 upstream one quarter mile towards the Old AuSable Fly Shop. Once there you must complete a counter clockwise turn around a buoy. Then you must head back downstream 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 4 minutes and 30 seconds to 13 minutes. While they are on their way back to the starting buoy they must maintain the number 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 LeMans-style foot race that starts the race.
The Marathon starts at 9:00 P.M. 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 around six hydroelectric dams along the river race route.
To participate in the race the competitor must be at least the age of 15. In order to enter by July 1 there is a $220 fee. To enter by July 15, the fee is $320, and to enter by July 25 the fee is $420. However, the fees are all worth their prices because upon completing the race the canoers are awarded cash prizes. The reward for first place is $5,000. Second place is $3,500, and third place receives $2,500. Even if a racer finishes in 40th place, they will receive $230 which is more than their entry fee. Competitors that finish after 40th place will receive a finishers medal.
The race relies on the efforts made by many volunteers, and is organized and ran by an all-volunteer non-profit organization: AuSable River International Canoe Marathon, Inc.
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 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 race from Grayling to Oscoda on Northern Michigan's AuSable River during the last full 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 race from La Tuque to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
AuSable River Canoe Marathon Facebook PageOscoda TownshipCity of GraylingTriple Crown of Canoe RacingTriple Crown of Canoe Racing YouTube Channel
{{Canoeing and kayaking Recurring sporting events established in 1947 Canoeing and kayaking competitions in the United States Sports in Michigan Articles containing video clips 1947 establishments in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
from Grayling to Oscoda. Nicknamed and known simply as "The Marathon," it first ran in 1947, and 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 to the finish.
Since 1971, the race has been held during the last full weekend in July, during Grayling's annual Au Sable River Festival. To determine the starting position of the racers for 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 upstream one quarter mile towards the Old AuSable Fly Shop. Once there you must complete a counter clockwise turn around a buoy. Then you must head back downstream 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 4 minutes and 30 seconds to 13 minutes. While they are on their way back to the starting buoy they must maintain the number 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 LeMans-style foot race that starts the race.
The Marathon starts at 9:00 P.M. 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 around six hydroelectric dams along the river race route.
To participate in the race the competitor must be at least the age of 15. In order to enter by July 1 there is a $220 fee. To enter by July 15, the fee is $320, and to enter by July 25 the fee is $420. However, the fees are all worth their prices because upon completing the race the canoers are awarded cash prizes. The reward for first place is $5,000. Second place is $3,500, and third place receives $2,500. Even if a racer finishes in 40th place, they will receive $230 which is more than their entry fee. Competitors that finish after 40th place will receive a finishers medal.
The race relies on the efforts made by many volunteers, and is organized and ran by an all-volunteer non-profit organization: AuSable River International Canoe Marathon, Inc.
The Triple Crown of Canoe Racing
The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is one of the three marathon canoe races that make up thTriple 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 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 race from Grayling to Oscoda on Northern Michigan's AuSable River during the last full 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 race from La Tuque to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
Winners
(Since 1980) The race record for the current course is 13:54:09, set by Jorden Wakeley of Grayling, MI and Matt Meersman of South Bend, IN in 2021. 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 10 by Andrew Triebold and Steve Lajoie (2004 and 2008-2015, 2018)See also
* Au Sable River *Grayling, Michigan
Grayling ( ') is a city and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County. The population was 1,884 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Town ...
*Mio, Michigan
Mio ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Oscoda County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Oscoda County. The population of the CDP was 1,690 at the 2020 census.
Mio is situated along the b ...
* Curtis Township, Michigan
*Au Sable, Michigan
Au Sable ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 1,453 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township at the mouth of the Au Sab ...
*Oscoda, Michigan
Oscoda ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 916 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township and Oscoda Towns ...
*Alcona Dam
Alcona Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan.
Background
This hydro-electric dam is capable of producing 8,000 kilowatts. It is currently named after the county where it is located, but was originally named for a nearby ro ...
*Five Channels Dam
Five Channels Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan.
Background
Consumers Power Company (now Consumers Energy) began construction on this hydro-electric dam in 1911 and completed it in 1912. The dam, the second of six bui ...
* Cooke Dam
* Foote Dam
References
External links
* *AuSable River Canoe Marathon Facebook Page
{{Canoeing and kayaking Recurring sporting events established in 1947 Canoeing and kayaking competitions in the United States Sports in Michigan Articles containing video clips 1947 establishments in Michigan