General Rules

The General Rules outlined in this section apply to every participant in both the Red River Paddle Challenge and Les Voyageurs Challenge. These rules establish the core safety standards, conduct expectations, environmental responsibilities, and equipment requirements that all paddlers must follow. Every racer should begin here, as these rules form the foundation for all event‑specific guidelines.

  • Red River Paddle Challenge participants must follow both the General Rules and the Red River Paddle Challenge rules.
  • Les Voyageurs Challenge participants must follow all rule sets: the General Rules, the Red River Paddle Challenge Rules (as day two takes place on the RRPC course), and the additional Les Voyageurs Challenge rules.

This structure ensures clarity, safety, and consistency across both events.

RRPC Pre Race Safety MeetingPersonal Safety

The priority of our event is safety. The unpredictable prairie weather and the river itself will provide ample challenge. Our other goals include making the race challenging but welcoming to competitors of many skill levels. Spending time on the Red River is rewarding and we hope our event reminds all who take part the true importance of this waterway.

All racers must wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) while on the water for the entire duration of the event. See our mandatory gear list below for more information on PFD requirements.

All racers will be issued a safety card with contact information for race organizers. Racers must contact organizers if they depart the event, stop racing for more than 30 minutes or if they face situations that may impact all racer’s safety. Racers should call 911 in the case of a life or death situation; call or text organizers in any other situation.

Racing Categories

All participants choose to paddle the entire distance either solo or tandem using the paddle-powered boat type of their choice. Categories are ranked by boat type as well as men’s solo, women’s solo, and mixed tandem.

The original paddle craft must be paddled from start to finish. Participants cannot switch boats unless their boat is damaged and unable to be paddled. In the event this happens the participants will still be eligible to complete the event and be considered finishers but will not be eligible to win a divisional or overall award.

Note: Participants must use the type of paddle designed for their boat type if they want to qualify for division prizing and ranking (i.e., single blade paddles for canoes and double blade paddles for kayaks/surfskis). If participants decide to paddle using a non-traditional paddle, they could still win an overall race prize/ranking for the entire race if they finish within the top three of the entire race.

Registration

Pre-registration is required. Registration closes at the end of the day on September 11, 2026. You will not be able to register the week of the race. Registration is done online through Webscorer.

All racers must complete race waivers before being allowed to take part in the event. NO ONE races without a waiver. If a waiver has not been completed in advance, volunteers will facilitate this for all racers as they arrive.

Stoppage en Route

All racers must text or call Red River Paddle Challenge staff any time they take a break that is planned to last for 30 minutes or longer so that we can alert safety boats on the route. Racers who take a break that ends up going longer than 30 minutes should text organizers to let them know and provide them with your approximate location and what your next steps will be. Please keep in mind that this is a race with specific cutoff times that must be met at the checkpoints.

Mandatory Equipment

The following list of items are mandatory for all participants. All paddlers/teams must carry these items with them for the entire duration of the event. RRPC officials will be checking to ensure all paddlers have all the mandatory equipment during final boat staging on Sunday morning.

  • One Transport Canada approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) per paddler*
  • One whistle per boat
  • One buoyant heaving line at least 15 m per boat (not required for stand up paddleboards (SUPs) and surfskis)
  • One Bailer or manual bilge pump per boat (not required for SUPs)
  • Board leashes for SUPs (must be worn at all times during the race)
  • Cellular telephone in a waterproof container
  • Cellular phone must have RaceOwlRacer app on it (or paddlers must use an inReach or Spot device connected to RaceOwlRacer); please see the RaceOwl section on our website for further details and instructions. Only one paddler per boat needs to be tracking with RaceOwlRacer.
  • Copy of the safety card with organizers’ phone numbers (provided to you at check-in)
  • Two liters of water per person

*ALL racers must wear their personal flotation device (PFD) while on the water for the entire duration of the event. No exceptions! Failure to do so will result in disqualification and a ban from future Red River Paddle Challenge events.

Recommended Equipment

  • Two-way communication device and/or GPS device
  • Spare paddle
  • Extra clothing in a waterproof bag
  • Rain jacket and pants
  • Food, energy gels and other sustenance
  • First-aid kit

Support Teams

Each participant is allowed unlimited race support at the checkpoints and other public-access sites on the river to exchange food, beverages and trash. Replacement paddlers or boats are forbidden. Racers may self-support using any checkpoint.

Support crews may not, in any way, assist with propulsion of the boat. They may only touch the boat when the boat is in contact with the shore and the racer has entered the checkpoint. Physical contact with support can only occur when the boat is grounded. No contact on the water is allowed. No support provided from a support boat is allowed. The organizers of the race will not provide any outside support during the race other than emergency medical assistance.

Transportation

Each participant must supply their own transportation to the start and pick up from the finish. While we encourage connecting with other paddlers to work out carpools and shuttles, Shuttle service is available for a fee. 

Age Restrictions

The minimum age to participate in the Red River Paddle Challenge is 12 years old. See additional notes below:

  • Participants aged 12-15 are required to paddle in tandem canoes or kayaks as part of a team (two or more people) with their parent or legal guardian.
  • Participants must be at least 16 years of age to participate in Les Voyageur Challenge.
  • Participants under 18 years of age must have their parent or legal guardian sign a waiver form.

Drafting

Drafting is defined as paddling in the wave of another participant, either behind or alongside the backwash of a paddler, closer than 2 boat/board lengths for longer than 10 seconds. You may only draft (follow closely) participants that are in your class. Here are some examples:

  • Solo paddlers can only draft other solo paddlers. For example, a solo kayak can draft another solo kayak or even a solo SUP. A solo SUP can draft another solo SUP or kayak. Solo paddlers cannot draft tandem boats, such as canoes and kayaks, or larger boats such as dragon boats or voyageur canoes.
  • Tandem teams can only draft other tandem teams. For example, a tandem canoe can draft another tandem canoe or tandem kayak. Tandem teams cannot draft solo boats, or larger boats such as dragon boats or voyageur canoes.

Drafting is allowed between women and men and vice-versa. Drafting a motor boat or any other vessel that is not part of the Red River Paddle Challenge is prohibited for all paddlers. It is each paddler’s responsibility to ensure that they are drafting within their class. Time penalties for drafting out of class will be determined at the discretion of the race officials. Participants may be disqualified for an extended breach of the drafting rule as determined by the race officials.

Did Not Finish (DNF)

Racers may choose to stop at any point on the river and exit the event, but they are required to contact race officials when this occurs. Racers should text or call race officials if they are exiting. Paddlers who fail to notify race authorities after choosing to exit the race will be banned from future Red River Paddle Challenge events. Paddlers are required to arrange their own pickup/transport if stopping and exiting the event at any point along the course. Paddlers will be marked as DNF in the RaceOwlRacer app.

Paddlers in Distress

Any paddler witnessing another paddler in obvious distress is compelled to render all assistance possible until the situation is resolved, a safety boat arrives, or you are relieved by another team that can help. If you are unable to assist, phone or send a text message to the race officials, or phone 911. Failure to offer assistance in an emergency situation will result in a lifetime ban from future Red River Paddle Challenge events for all team members.

Sportsmanship

The Red River Paddle Challenge will not tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct on the course. Disqualification may be the result, to be determined by race officials.

Drugs and Alcohol Consumption

No participant is allowed to consume alcohol or drugs (including cannabis) during the race. Any participant suspected of consuming alcohol or drugs is subject to disqualification and being banned from any future Red River Paddle Challenge events.

Leave No Trace

Racers who discard anything into the river, or who fail to maintain gear accountability, are subject to time penalty or possible disqualification as determined by race officials. Please respect our waterways.

Aquatic Invasive Species

Aquatic invasive species (AIS), such as zebra mussels, are known to occur in the Red River and its tributaries. As such the Red River is designated as part of the Central AIS Control Zone. To prevent the spread of AIS, provincial legislation and regulations require water users (including RRPC participants) to follow the general cleaning provisions (clean, drain, dry) in addition to decontaminating, to ensure AIS are killed and removed before watercraft (e.g., canoes, kayaks, SUPs) and water-related equipment (e.g., paddles, PFDs, ropes ) are placed in a different water body or control zone. For more details, please refer to our Aquatic Invasive Species page.

Revisions to Rules

The organizers of this event reserve the right to revise any prior rules or regulations as a result of a conflict, hazard or unforeseen incident.