Thanks again to everyone who joined us for the 2022 Red River Paddle Challenge! Here’s our final video from 2022. Be sure to watch right through to the end for a little sneak peak at what’s to come next year as the RRPC enters its fifth year!
Registration for 2023 will also be opening soon!
Get your canoes, kayaks, surf skis and dragon boats readyBy Katelyn Boulanger, as originally published in The Selkirk Record
The Red River Paddle Challenge is back for its fourth annual paddling event on the Red River.
“The Red River Paddle Challenge is a marathon distance, paddling race or challenge, which starts in Winnipeg at the St Vital Park and goes downstream north all the way to the Half Moon Drive In in Lockport. It’s open to any paddle crafts or human-powered boats–canoes, kayaks, paddleboards. We’ve got dragon boats, rowing boats, basically, if you can paddle it, you can race it in the event,” said Brad Friesen, Red River Paddle Challenge Race Director.
The challenge started in 2019 but COVID-19 did change the way that the race has operated for the past few years.
“Our second year, 2020, that’s when COVID was at its height and in 2021, we had to make some changes. We spread out the start time for everyone to just maintain as much distance as they can. But right now, we’re back to normal as far as COVID restrictions go with one big mass start. We’ll have all the boats, over 100 boats on the water. The start of the race is chaotic. It’ll be awesome,” he said.
Friesen says that the original idea for this event started when he, as a paddleboard racer who travelled across North America to race in distance events, wanted to be able to say that we had something like this in our own community.
“There was nothing like there here in Manitoba and even Canada doesn’t really have too many events of this type, unless you go up to say the Yukon, there’s the famous Yukon River Quest. And, people are always asking about it,” he said.
Since its inception, the race has really taken off with paddlers coming in from all over Canada from B.C. to Southern Ontario and even people from the U.S. making their way to the Red River.
Even though some of the participants that come are competitive athletes, Friesen wants to assure people that this is an event for anyone who thinks they can go the distance which is why they’ve enphasized challenge in the name instead of race.
“For some people, the challenge is to just finish themselves. Like running a marathon, if you sign up for the Manitoba Marathon, how many people sign up thinking, ‘Oh, I’m gonna win this.’? Most peoplejust sign it to complete it or have a personal goal,” said Friesen.
He says that even though getting a large event like this together is a lot of work each year, it’s all worth it on race day.
“To see the participants at the start in the morning, it can be intense for some, as well, as you know, there’s a lot of nerves, people are nervous and unsure what to expect. And then it’s complete, it’s just awesome. When you get to the finish line, you see people finish, the smiles on their faces, and how proud everyone is of themselves for completing the challenge,” said Friesen.
He invited anyone who’s interested to sign up via the Red River Paddle Challenge website and come out to the event. You can also learn more about the race and see a documentary about it on the website https://www.redriverpaddlechallenge.com/.
Well over 100 canoes, kayaks and standup paddle boards will hit the water later this month to make the journey from Winnipeg the Lockport for the Red 4th annual River Paddle Challenge. CBC morning Host Marcy Markusa speaks with Brad Friesen, Race Director, Red River Paddle Challenge who says Paddlers of all skill levels are welcomed.
The Red River Paddle Challenge is excited to welcome Maddi Leblanc back for a second year of racing! Maddi, a member of Team Canada from Welland, Ontario will be hosting a fun 2 hour SUP clinic on Thursday, September 22nd from 6-8pm! This is your chance to pick Maddi’s brain about anything SUP! This clinic is open to anyone! A range of topics include SUP racing techniques, race prep, SUP day trips, equipment, pacing, choosing appropriate gear/nutrition, Q&A, etc. So what are you waiting for?!
Sign up today! $50 per participant. Board rentals are also available for those who need one. Clinic will take place on the Red River at the Manitoba Canoe & Kayak Centre 80 Churchill Drive in Winnipeg.
We are excited to announce we will be using the RaceOwl tracking system for this year’s Red River Paddle Challenge!
RaceOwl will show the current location of every racer, allowing all of your friends, family, and our race officials to follow you along on your journey to Lockport. RaceOwl will also record your start and finish time and, as well as the estimated time of arrival at each checkpoint.
Each racer will be required to run RaceOwl on a device in their boat (usually a smartphone). Spot trackers can also be used with RaceOwl for those who prefer to use them.
Please see the RaceOwl section of the RRPC website for complete details.
Mark your calendars because we’re coming back bigger and better next year on September 24, 2022!
For those of you who use Facebook, be sure to check out and share the Facebook Event Page with your friends.
Name a boat you can paddle and there’s a good chance you’ll see it racing down the Red River on Saturday, September 25th for the third annual Red River Paddle Challenge. Brad Friesen Founder and Race Director tells host Marcy Markusa about why the race is making waves in the Canadian paddle community.
Red River Paddle Challenge returns! The Red River Paddle Challenge will see paddlers hit the river on Sept. 25 for a 45 kilometer trek. Race director Brad Friesen talks about the importance of people getting to know and using Manitoba waterways.
Source: Global News
