CHECKPOINTS YEAR TIME TEA M (AGES)
Burton’s Landing 1994 0:48:24 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Stephan Bridge 1994 1:24:51 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Wakeley Bridge 1994 1:57:38 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
McMasters Bridge 1994 2:58:36 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Parmalee Bridge 1994 4:04:40 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Camp Ten Bridge 1994 5:12:24 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Mio Dam 1994 5:39:18 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
McKinley 1994 7:31:30 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
4001 Bridge 1994 8:25:29 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Alcona Dam 1994 9:05:48 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Loud Dam 2019 11:01:45 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Five Channels Dam 2019 11:27:49 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Cooke Dam 2019 12:31:08 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Foote Dam 2019 13:47:57 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Oscoda 2019 15:15:36 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
2nd Half 2017 7:39:14 Rebecca Davis (27) & Edith MacHattie (43)
Burton’s Landing 1994 0:48:24 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Stephan Bridge 1994 0:36:27 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Wakeley Beidge 2017 0:32:33 Rebecca Davis (27) & Edith MacHattie (43)
McMasters Bridge 2019 1:00:57 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Parmalee Bridge 1994 1:06:04 Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Camp Ten Bridge 1994 1:07:44
Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
Mio Dam 2018 0:25:43 Rebecca Davis (28) & Edith MacHattie (44)
4001 Bridge 1994 1:52:12
Connie Cannon (33) & Carrie Trudgeon (24)
McKinley 2013 0:53:29 Holly Reynolds (33) & Gloria Wesley (53)
Alcona Dam 2018 0:38:08 Rebecca Davis (28) & Edith MacHattie (44)
Loud Dam 2019 1:55:51 Rebecca Davis (29) & Edith MacHattie (45)
Five Chan. Dam 2018 0:25:54
Cooke Dam 2017 1:02:29
Foote Dam 2017 1:14:34
Oscoda 2017 1:24:59
Rebecca Davis (28) & Edith MacHattie (44)
Rebecca Davis (27) & Edith MacHattie (43)
Rebecca Davis (27) & Edith MacHattie (43)
Rebecca Davis (27) & Edith MacHattie (43)
Construction on the Alcona Dam started when Woodrow Wilson was President, a loaf of bread was 7 cents and bicycles were a major mode of transportation.
The year was 1917, and construction stalled due to unstable sand and World War I. Work resumed on the hydro in 1923 and it began commercial operation in 1924.
This year it’s celebrating a huge milestone – its 100th birthday. It’s one of the six dams on the AuSable River – Cooke, Five Channels, Loud, Foote and Mio.
“The Alcona Hydro is a special place along the Au Sable River for everyone to enjoy the many recreational opportunities offered,” said Adam Monroe, Executive Director of Hydro Generation.
While considering options to sell Alcona and the other 12 hydros, Consumers Energy remains committed to maintaining them.
Dam safety for Consumers Hydro Plants is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Part of staying in compliance with FERC includes regular inspections and necessary upgrades to the facilities. In 2024, Consumers Energy will be upgrading the approximately 1,900 ft earthen embankment which makes Alcona Pond.
Year completed:
Construction started on the hydro in 1917 and finished in 1924.
When constructed, the dam was built with some concrete “core wall” which was 1-3 feet thick, and then compacted earth was added around the core wall on both the upstream and downstream sides, for the length of the embankment. Due to aging of the concrete over the past 100 years, the core wall will be reinforced in 2024 by installing steel sheet piling next to it for the 1,900 ft length of the core wall.
The plan is for the contractor to set up a work area in the upper parking lot. A large barge, which will move along the edge of the pond, will support a crane. Using the crane, the steel sheet pile, typically 30 feet in length, will be driven into the embankment and then
connected to the old core wall with reinforcing steel and concrete. This work is expected to take place between June and November of 2024.
Emphasis will be placed on doing the work safely and with minimal impact to the environment and wildlife which call the area home.
“Upgrades and improvements over the years to our river hydro dams appear to have resulted in satisfied regulators, happier fisherman and outdoor enthusiasts,” said Monroe “That will always be the case under our watch.”
How it works:
Natural flow of river goes down long tube (penstock), which turns turbine and generates electricity in the powerhouse. The electricity is transmitted to power homes and businesses and the water continues down the river.
What happens there:
Located in Alcona County off the Au Sable River and is along the route of the AuSable Canoe Marathon.
(38) & David Smith (39) 15:58:21
29 81 Ryan Peterson (41) & Jeremiah Menk (46) 16:00:44
30 53 Sean Brabant (33) & Caleb Watson (21) 16:03:55
31 57 Dan Mecklenburg (61) & Jon Webb (63) 16:05:51
32 11 Drew Compau (32) & Chad Brandt (49) 16:08:43
33 15 Aaron Putnam (39) & Alan Putnam (37) 16:11:04
34 72 Thierry Dufour (49) & Gérémy Michaud (21) 16:11:56
35 74 Seth Miller (56) & Stephen Miller (58) 16:12:53
36 10 Joe Leusby (39) & Rob Shadley (39) 16:14:45
37 89 Dave Flageole (41) & Renaud Flageole (16) 16:18:49
38 25 Judson Steinback (42) & Dan Goltz (52) 16:20:46
39 94 Wade Binion (44) & Cecili Bugge (23) 16:20:53
40 62 Tom Trudgeon (64) & Dane Trudgeon (16) 16:25:17
39 Sean Casey (45) & Katie Peck (28) 16:26:58 42 92 Lydia Huelskamp (31) & Kaitlin Mynar (32) 16:28:32 43 71 Michael Cade (51) & Shawn Boyett (50) 16:30:47 44 28 Steve Landick (70) & Connor Landick (33) 16:31:58 45 44 David Hawkins (41) & Flash Marsh (46) 16:35:11 46 60 Joseph Allison (41) & Steve Bachorik (40) 16:36:36
82 Stephen Routley (58) & James Miller (58) 16:37:46 48 99 Robin Eschbach (29) & Michael Schulze (37) 16:41:15
49 51 Fred Kueffer (44) & Kira Stolen (51) 16:42:03
50 45 Andrew Condie (38) & Mollie Binion (40) 16:43:51
51 56 Ted Kenyon (51) & Peter Heed (73) 16:45:51
52 115 Rodney Elliott (56) & Joey Kimsel (42) 16:48:42
53 23 Michelle Laprade (42) & Sylvie Nadeau (48) 16:50:02
54 46 John Lucey (59) & Dwight Walker (69) 16:52:10
55 86 Nate Greeley (29) & Garrett Ziegler (39) 16:55:23
56 111 Tim Burr (22) & David Burr (21) 16:56:13
57 34 L.J. Bourgeois (46) & Bryce Martin (30) 16:57:51
58 85 Chase Matthews (25) & Austin Poland (24) 16:59:33
59 19 Doug Heady (65) & Sean Newmister (38) 17:02:31
60 50 Chris Ecker (59) & Bill Mahaffy, Jr. (42) 17:06:00
61 33 Greg Zophy (66) & Debbie Brax (61) 17:06:59
62 93 Maria Schilling (50) & Melissa Swislosky (51) 17:09:03
63 05 Bruce Barton (66) & Carrie Montgomery (53) 17:10:08
64 20 David Teddy (49) & Rylan Teddy (18) 17:14:56
65 67 Roy Sowersby (62) & Bruce Daman (54) 17:15:22
66 66 Ian Rolls (45) & Adelaide Rolls (15) 17:16:30
67 101 Anthony Fisher (19) & Jayden Russell (19) 17:17:36
68 18 Noah VanderVeen (26) & Josie VanderVeen (27) 17:19:00
69 61 Chuck Hewitt (64) & Chris Hewitt (33) 17:20:04
70 31 Eric Dittenber (46) & Terry Curley (63) 17:23:07
71 36 Zach Cheney (26) & Michael Garon (65) 17:23:39
72 14 Bill Torongo (61) & Maggie Feil (36) 17:26:30
73 123 Ashton Mabee (19) & River Robertson (31) 17:26:46
74 37 Paul Olney (60) & JoAnn Olney (22) 17:30:55
75 47 Matthew Wigton (49) & Brigid DeLeo (51) 17:32:11
76 35 Ryan Ognibene (35) & Adam Blanchard (39) 17:37:37
77 58 Diana Jurewicz (60) & Sarah Webb (62) 17:39:12
78 95 Wally Werderich (50) & George Werderich (18) 17:40:22
79 109 Andrew Davis (41) & Alexandre Leonard (32) 17:45:23
80 107 Jerry Lambert (58) & Jonathan George (33) 17:55:52
81 49 Andrew Weeks (59) & Paddi Thornburg (60) 17:56:02
82 84 Nate Winkler (51) & Pam Fitzgerald (62) 17:57:16
83 06 Kris Kalbfleisch (39) & Ursula Latreille (51) 18:01:12
84 73 Jeff Pedersen (62) & Ed Wagner (63) 18:05:47
85 76 Keith Wojahn (59) & Jerry Killingbeck (54) 18:07:57
86 65 Jeff DeFeo (68) & Amy Solak (58) 18:10:29
87 105 Jennifer Luoma (35) & Daniel Luoma (38) 18:11:35 88 119 Mark Schmude (44) & Tim Feldkamp (57) 18:18:33
89 48 Kevin Berl (59) & Helen-Holly Crouch (65) 18:27:10
90 40 Fred Mills (69) & Heather Minkel (36) 18:27:31 91 54 Mike Kellogg (54) & Lynne Witte (69) 18:27:43 92 120 Jeremy Kellogg (37) & Josh Kellogg (40) 18:28:13 93 88 Caroline Fortin (45) & Thina Pham (44) 18:38:02 94 17 Nicole Rice-Owens (45) & David Timmerman (65) 18:40:49 95 77 Aaron Lovell (35) & Ian Eddy (29) 18:43:38
42 Mallory Horwath (36) & Alison vanMelle (34) 18:45:10
100 John Young (65) & David Sennett (73) DQ-Overtime
75 Bernie Tuszynski (66) & Erin Thompson (34) Drop-Illness
87 Carlos Martinez (50) & Rebecca Sutter (54) Drop-Injury
32 Annette Boath (63) & Frank Kingma (65) Drop-Illness
96 Louis-Simon Pruneau (25) & Christian Charette (32) Drop-Illness
24 Scott Carroll (58) & Sue Kerry (60) Drop-Illness
59 Gary McLain (57) & Rusty McLain (64) Drop-Illness 104 12 Kolee Kellogg Jungers (42) & Lindy Kellogg (50) DQ-Overtime
00 Dave Dickinson (60) & Russell Anderson (75) DQ-Overtime
7 Daniel Sherman (43) & Chris Scully (63) DQ-Overtime 107 03 Mo Harwood, Jr. (44) & Erich Podjaske (41) Drop-Illness 108 29 Jay Mammel (72) & Dale Thompson (67) Drop-Illness
109 27 Alecia Bischoff (33) & Kevin Ornatowski (65) Drop-Illness
110 38 Chris Wilcox (46) & Ryan Davis (50) DQ-Overtime
Big cities. Small towns. Densely populated neighborhoods. Rural areas with wildlife, farms and forests. Michigan has them all, which means we need to provide reliable energy across a wide range of places.
Investing in our grid in Northern Michigan includes several projects and communities not too far from I-75. When the $33.6 million in projects are complete, we will be several steps closer to our Reliability Roadmap goals of:
• No storm causing more than 100,000 outages.
• And no outage lasting more than 24 hours.
Three major project upgrades are at the forefront of helping with this investment (some of these are done so we can say replaced instead of replacing)
• Replacing the Houghton Heights Substation
• Replacing the Higgins Substation
• Major upgrades to the Beaver Creek Substation.
“These project upgrades are critical to Northern Michigan’s future when it comes to commercial, residential and industrial growth,” said Rich Castle, community affairs manager in Northern Michigan, who works closely with the communities these projects serve. “These projects provide an opportunity to upgrade aging infrastructure and equipment in Northern Michigan while enhancing safety and reliability in the delivery of energy to our customers.”
At Houghton Heights, we are investing $18 million to replace the substation that will become the Houghton Lakes Substation. It will be located at the crossroads of Old US Highway 27 and Knapp Road and it will provide power to 6,140 customers. The existing substation will be removed once the new one is fully operational.
This project will require installation of a new high voltage distribution line. Construction of this HVD line is scheduled to begin in November 2024 and expected to be fully operational in February 2026.”
“We will be retiring the Markey Line, which is an existing 46kV line on the northwest side of Houghton Lake in a swamp. Because of its location, this portion of the line can’t be rebuilt and creates many other challenges:
• Some of the poles on the Markey Line are difficult to inspect and pose a significant threat to the reliability of the line.
• The Markey Line and its three existing substations of 13,000 customers have had multiple outages due to the line’s current loca-
tion and condition.
• When outages do occur, they take much longer to fix.
“As with all of our projects, we remain committed to communicating clearly about these plans with landowners,” Castle said. “Our field representatives are reaching out directly to each landowner to discuss easement rights and address any concerns around construction.””
“Protecting the planet is one of our top priorities, Castle added.
“W hile designing the proposed route of the new HVD line, careful attention was made to minimize the project’s environmental impact upon wetlands while supporting developed areas in the Houghton Lake area,” he said.
We also invested $13 million in overhauling the Higgins Substation and replacing it with a rebuilt substation with new equipment. The Higgins Substation serves over 32,000 customers. The existing equipment in the Higgins Substation was reaching end of life and the new equipment will help with future reliability efforts. “This new substation is already up and running, and the community feedback before, during and after construction has been overwhelmingly positive,” Castle said. “We look forward to helping our customers get the reliable service they depend on us for each and every day.”
The Beaver Creek Substation, located in Grayling, serves about 10,000 customers.
We recently invested $2.6 million in upgrades to the substation, including replacing an aging transformer.
“The Beaver Creek project is critical to the area since it focuses more on industrial partners,” said Castle. “We have stressed to residents and businesses the importance of upgrading our system to fulfill their future needs when it comes to reliable service.”
One of the businesses the substation serves is AJD Forest Products, a full-service sawmill in Grayling with about 50 employees. Tim Neff, general manager of AJD Forest Products, said he appreciated the effort by Consumers Energy to keep him informed during the upgrades.
“We had power the whole time and zero issues,” he said. “Looking forward, anything that can be done to improve reliability and consistency of supply will always be welcomed by us. They are both critical components to our business now and in the future.””
When you think of energy providers and power restoration, you likely think of lineworkers and bucket trucks. While that’s true, there are hundreds of behind-the-scenes employees – from dispatch to forestry to system control – who are dedicated to keeping the lights on for our customers.
It’s not just boots on the dry ground doing the work. Some of our coworkers are navigating a military-like precision vehicle through Michigan’s waters.
A few are flying in a helicopter to inspect power lines. Some are operating drones to locate downed wires and other potential issues. Our crews are keeping the power on from the air, land and water. And with Mother Nature becoming increasingly more unpredictable, these tools and methods will continue to help us strengthen the electric grid and deliver on the ambitious goals in our Reliability Roadmap.
“The tools and technology we
have available now compared to 20-25 years ago really is unreal,” said Jerry Gates, a lineworker in charge and a company veteran for 27 years. He also drives the amphibious machine when a crew goes into areas where bucket trucks can’t reach, especially on lakes and ponds. “We have come so far, and there’s no limit to where can go from here.”
With the enjoyment of having thousands of lakes and ponds in Michigan also comes the responsibility of replacing poles, transformers, cross arms and other equipment that help power the properties close to them.
That’s where our 6,000-pound amphibious machine comes in. The unique-looking machine seems to draw a crowd wherever it goes and is key in replacing poles directly in the water that are broken, aging or no longer functioning.
Since using a bucket truck is out of the question, a member of the crew must scale the pole to determine any damage. If a pole replacement is necessary, equipment that can move through water, such as a flex track, will be brought in later.
When it comes to aerial inspections of our infrastructure, we also have that covered through our helicopter and dozens of specialized drones.
With the help of a thermal camera, a helicopter crew helps keep the power on by identifying potential issues within our 4,000 miles of HVD lines.
High voltage line outages affect 25 times more customers per incident than low voltage line outages, making it a primary focus for this crew and the rest of our reliability team.
Tommy Webb, Senior Engineer Tech Analyst, and the rest of the helicopter crew saved about 154,000 customers in 2022 from experiencing an outage, which equates to about 27 million minutes of outage time. Similar figures were expected for 2023.
The crew performs routine flyovers to help crews identify issues right away. The chopper is also used for damage assessment in the aftermath of major storms.
“Everyone has their role. We know the importance of working together to help our customers get the reliable service that they depend on us for every day,” Webb said of the reliability cause.
One team they work closely with is the drone support team, a group of 30 drone operators led by
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Ben Strandskov.
“We work in tandem with our helicopter crew to get to tough places crews aren’t able to,” Strandskov said. “That includes about 400 miles of lines they can’t get to for reasons including thick brush and helicopters not being allowed in the area.”
The drones locate downed wires or damage to poles including cross arms, insulators and cutout switches, especially after a storm. They also proactively identify signs of equipment damage on devices, such as Automatic Transfer Reclosers (ATRs).
By LandMost of the work our crews perform still takes place above ground. But we continue to explore new ways to improve our reliability, including burying our electric lines.
Fallen trees or broken limbs are the leading cause of outages in Michigan. That’s why we are investing more than $600 million over the next five years to make sure our customers have reliable service by keeping our distribution lines clear. Traditional tree trimming and overhead linework will also continue to be at the forefront of our reliability endeavors.
Cleveland Reid, a lineworker, said it is critical to work together and step up our reliability performance. “We all have a role in helping move the company forward,” Reid said. “Having high standards will help us in our mission to gain customer trust by doing everything we can to keep their power on, but if a storm does hit, we will safely go to any lengths to get it back on.”
Above: Amphibious Electric Reliability Below: Helicopter Power Line Inspections
July 20-21, 2024
Last year marked the 75th Annual Au Sable Canoe Marathon and the 1st Annual Blessing of the Paddlers. Many people and paddlers were not aware of the Blessing, because it was in a sense impromptu. The E-Free Church of Grayling was working on having an outdoor concert in the community. As we set out to plan this with the Grayling Chamber of Commerce, the Executive Director asked us if we would consider making the event occur during the Marathon week and performing a “Blessing of the Paddlers” event as well. Of course this was a delight for us to be a part of, so we worked out the logistics in order to make the blessing and concert come together on the opening weekend of the Marathon week.
Honestly, as a pastor, it was a blessing to me to have this opportunity to ask a blessing over the week of recreational and professional paddlers alike. Many people are familiar with the “Blessing of the Bikes” which occurs in Baldwin, MI. That blessing is now celebrating its 52nd Anniversary. It has grown so much that they bring in vendors and food trucks for the occasion. With the Blessing of the Paddlers, these things are already in place as many events are already in place as the weeklong event kicks off on that Saturday. Unfortunately, because last year’s blessing was planned quite close to the week of the Marathon, we could not get it into any of the main advertising for the Marathon.
This year, I count it a privilege once again to have the opportunity to perform the “Blessing of the Paddlers”. I also count it a privilege that the publishers of Canoe Marathon Spectator’s Guide invited me to write this short article about the blessing. This year, we will have a group playing music from the Lion’s Den in Roscommon. The Lion’s Den is a wonderful ministry which helps people overcome addictions. We welcome everyone who wants to come and participate, whether you are a professional paddler, a recreational paddler, an observer, or part of a support team. Last year we enjoyed the blessing, the music, some sweets, as well the fellowship among friends, old and new. Just bring a comfortable lawn chair; we hope to see you there!
Dan Defever, Pastor of the E-Free Church of Grayling
Rank Paddler Total Years Accomplished
1(t) Serge Corbin 17
1(t) Steve Lajoie 17
1(t) Andrew Triebold 17
1979-87-88-90-91-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-9900-03-04-05
1999-03-04-06-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-15-1718-19-22-23
2003-04-05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12-13-14-1516-17-18-19
4 Jeff Kolka 14 1989-90-91-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-00-03-04-05
5(t) Brett Stockton 12
5(t) Rick Joy 12
7 Tony Short 11
8(t) Randy Drake 10
8(t) Jim Harwood 10
8(t) Bill Torongo 10
1981-82-83-84-85-86-87-88-90-91-92-21
1985-86-88-89-91-93-94-96-97-98-99-08
1982-84-85-86-87-93-94-95-97-08-09
1986-88-89-91-92-93-94-95-96-97
1986-89-91-93-94-95-96-98-99-06
1989-90-91-93-94-95-96-98-08-10
8(t) Nick Walton 10 2009-10-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-21
12(t) Allan Rudquist 9
1981-89-92-93-94-95-96-97-98
12(t) Steve Kolonich 9 1991-92-94-95-97-99-08-09-10
12(t) Ryan Halstead 9 2006-08-11-12-14-16-21-22-23
15 Mike Davis 8 2013-16-17-18-19-21-22-23
16(t) Solomon Carrière 7 1984-87-89-90-93-94-95
16(t) Ken Kolonich 7 1991-92-94-95-97-99-09
16(t) Matt Meersman 7 2008-10-17-19-21-22-23
16(t) Christophe Proulx 7 2013-14-15-16-17-18-23
16(t) Pete Mead 7 2013-15-17-18-19-21-23
16(t) Guillaume Blais 7 2015-16-17-18-19-22-23
1947 Allen Carr & Delbert Case 21:03:00 24:00 Jack Davis & Jay Stephan, Sr.
1948 Frank Bissonette & Hugh Bissonette 19:58:00 13:00 Ted Engel & Jay Stephan, Sr.
1949 Frank Bissonette & Hugh Bissonette 18:57:00 28:00 Gerald DeFour & Claude Gobiel
1950 Jay Stephan, Sr. & Ted Engel 18:32:00 20:00 Frank Bissonette & Hugh Bissonette
1951 Jay Stephan, Sr. & Ted Engel 17:36:55 42:00 Robert Fullerton & Hugh Bissonette
1952 Jay Stephan, Sr. & Ted Engel 17:48:00 6:00 Don Feldhauser & Bernie Fowler
1953 Don Feldhauser & Bernie Fowler 17:33:00 38:00 Ralph W. Sawyer & Eugene Roy
1954 Don Feldhauser & Bernie Fowler 17:33:00 39:00 Steve Kolonich & Larry Kindell
1955 Don Feldhauser & Bernie Fowler 17:38:30 5:00 Steve Kolonich & Larry Kindell
1956 Ralph Sawyer & Tom Gildersleeve 16:58:00 12:00 Bernie Fowler & John Stephan
1957 Ralph Sawyer & Jerry Wagner 17:19:45 14:00 Irvin Peterson & Tom Estes
1958 Steve Kolonich & Larry Kindell 16:41:00 27:00 Ralph Sawyer & Tom Gildersleeve
1959 Ralph Sawyer & Jerry Wagner 16:58:00 10:30 Gary Kolonich & Ed Wojahn
1960 Ed Wojahn & Sanford McGuire 16:11:40 10:30 Ralph Sawyer & Irvin McGuire
1961 Victor Kindell & Larry Kindell 9:49:25 * 1:55 Ralph Sawyer & Ed Wojahn
1962 Ralph Sawyer & Ron Hohman 15:25:17 ** 17:08 Gerald Lauwers & Stan Hall
1963 Ron Hohman & Irvin Peterson 15:09:04 ** 10:53 Gerald Lauwers & Stan Hall
1964 Ralph Sawyer & Irvin Peterson 15:06:05 ** 21:1 Pat Widing & Al Widing, Sr.
1965 Ralph Sawyer & Irvin Peterson 16:11:54 13:04 Stan Hall & Al Widing, Sr.
1966 Ron Hohman & Gerald Lauwers 16:00:49 10:12 LeRoy Widing & Al Widing, Sr.
1967 Ralph Sawyer & Stan Hall 15:40:29 ** 6:17 Irvin Peterson & Steve Peterson
1968 Ralph Sawyer & Stan Hall 15:31:43 ** 8:25 Norm Crerar & Gib McEachron
1969 NO RACE WAS HELD
1970 Luc Robillard & Claude Corbin 15:42:00 4:00 John Baker & Jack Kolka
1971 Irvin Peterson & Steve Peterson 15:36:40 3:20 Jerry Kellogg & Jack Kolka
1972 Jerry Kellogg & Luc Robillard 15:20:50 32:34 John Baker & Jack Kolka
1973 Jerry Kellogg & Luc Robillard 14:56:20 31:19 John Buckley & Stan Hall
1974 Jerry Kellogg & Jeff Kellogg 14:40:09 35:08 Claude Corbin & Serge Corbin
1975 Jerry Kellogg & Jeff Kellogg 14:59:07 6:59 Jay Stephan, Jr. & Bob Welsch
1976 John Baker & John Schwartz 15:14:10 13:10 Terry Jackman & Ken Brown
1977 Claude Corbin & Serge Corbin 15:17:42 5:00 Jerry Kellogg & Jeff Kellogg
1978 John Baker & Jay Stephan, Jr. 15:06:26 10:55 Claude Corbin & Serge Corbin
1979 Claude Corbin & Serge Corbin 14:40:29 0:06
1980 John Baker & Ron Williams 14:48:31 20:23
John Baker & Ken Brown
Terry Jackman & Ken Brown
1981 John Baker & Ken Brown 14:29:01 21:14 Al Rudquist & Brett Stockton
1982 Butch Stockton & Brett Stockton 14:38:27 5:01
1983 Butch Stockton & Brett Stockton 14:38:36 23:23
1984 Butch Stockton & Solomon Carrière 14:20:40 16:11
1985 Butch Stockton & Brett Stockton 14:35:53 7:23
1986 Butch Stockton & Brett Stockton 14:30:38 5:12
1987 Serge Corbin & Brett Stockton 14:34:32 9:03
1988 Serge Corbin & Brett Stockton 14:20:00 4:01
John Baker & Tony Short
John Baker & Tony Short
Tony Short & Brett Stockton
Tony Short & Steve Peterson
Randy Drake & Eric McNett
Tony Short & Eric McNett
Randy Drake & Tim Triebold
1989 Randy Drake & Al Rudquist 14:38:18 *** 3:09 Jeff Kolka & Bill Torongo
1990 Serge Corbin & Brett Stockton 14:43:35 1:31
Bruce Barton & Solomon Carrière
1991 Serge Corbin & Brett Stockton 14:33:30 1:33 Jeff Kolka & Bill Torongo
1992 Serge Corbin & Brett Stockton 14:51:46 1:24
Bruce Barton & Tim Triebold
1993 Serge Corbin & Solomon Carrière 14:23:03 1:50 Jeff Kolka & Bill Torongo
1994 Serge Corbin & Solomon Carrière 13:58:08 9:52 Jeff Kolka & Bill Torongo
1995 Patrick Lynch & Jim Harwood 14:20:40 4:02 Jeff Kolka & Bruce Barton
1996 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 14:04:05 37:34 Patrick Lynch & Jim Harwood
1997 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 14:19:36 6:18 Al Rudquist & Mike Vincent
Continued on Page 24
uhm.com/shuber
E Michigan Ave, Grayling, MI
In May of 2024, Team Mississippi Speed Record set the Guinness World Record for the “Fastest Team to Row The Length of the Mississippi River” in 16 Days, 20 Hours, and 16 Minutes. The paddlers consisted of team Captain Scott Miller of Minneapolis, MN, Paul Cox of Atlanta, GA, Wally Werderich of Chicago, IL, and Judson Steinback of La Crosse, WI (Joe Mann of Kansas City, MO, was our back-up paddler). Our Support team captain, Moose Dougherty of Minneapolis, MN, ran the on-ground support team, and Scott Mansker (THE Scott Mansker of the MR340), ran the on-water support and safety operations. Scott Duffus, of Owatanna, MN, was our canoe technician. Additionally, there were over 20 other support team members and 3 dogs responsible for feeding us, caring for us, updating of fans and supporters through social media, and keeping us safe as we paddled down the River. While the paddlers were responsible for powering the boat down to the Gulf, this effort could never have been successful without the sophisticated logistical coordination and tremendous efforts of the support team.
The source of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca in Northern Minnesota. As it flows out of the lake, it resembles little more than a trickle as it makes its way about 2300 miles to Head of Passes, also known as Mile Marker Zero—the official end of the Mississippi River. Paddlers typically break the river into three sections. The “Headwaters” begin as a windy and technically challenging creek filled with downed trees, beaver dams, and numerous sets of small rapids and swift water. Periodically, the river slows as it enters wild rice and tamarack bogs. Eventually, the river grows in size and there are numerous portages around dams and even a Class III rapids in the town of Sauk Rapids. The section known as the “Upper River” begins in Minneapolis, MN, and after two really long portages, becomes navigable to commercial shipping traffic. This section of the Mississippi is really beautiful and characterized by rolling hills along its banks and about 26 locks and dams. Guinness requires that you lock through these dams rather than portage around them, and long wait times at locks have the potential to really slow your record attempt down. After passing the the Port of St. Louis and paddling through the Chain of Rocks Rapids (Class II), the Ohio River enters the Mississippi and the river triples in volume. Here begins the “Lower River,” approximately 1000 of giant water. If not for the massive barges and ships that travel this section of river, it would feel like a complete wilderness.
People have been setting and breaking the record for fastest paddle down the Mississippi River since 1937. Most of the teams that have set the world record have done so in a canoe, though per the guidelines
issued by Guinness a scull, rowing boat, kayak or canoe are all permissible. The first time the record was set was in 1937. Joe Tagg, Gerald Capers and Charles Saunders paddled from Itasca to New Orleans in 56 days. In 1978, the record was set for a second time by a British Royal Air Force team at 42 days, 5 hours and some minutes. In 1980, KJ Millhone and Steve Eckelkamp set a new world record at 35 days, 11 hours and 27 minutes. The record was next set in 1984, by famed paddlers Verlen Kruger and Valerie Fons in 23 days and 10 hours. Bill Perdzock and Mike Schnitzka set it again in 1989 with a time of 23 days, 9 hours and 51 minutes. In 2001, Bob Bradford partnered with Verlen Krueger to try and reclaim the record, but various authorities forced them off the river on multiple occasions due to flooding, and they just missed setting a new record, paddling the river in 24 days. Bob Bradford made another attempt two years later, paddling with Clark Eid. Bob and Clark set the current world record in 2003 in 18 days, 4 hours and 51 minutes. In 2021, KJ and Casey Millhone joined with Rod Price and Bobby Johnson, under the team name “MMZero” to establish the new record to beat at 17 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes. That same year, Scott Miller made his first attempt to break the world record with Team Mississippi version 1.0. Ahead of pace to break the record and only 150 miles from the finish, they had to be rescued in the middle of the night by their support boat when a major tropical depression sank their canoe from under them. The next day, after that harrowing and near-death experience on the Mississippi, Scott Miller decided that he wanted to do it again.
Our team, Version 2.0, paddled a modified Minnesota IV manufactured by Wenonah Canoe in Winona, MN. We opted for this boat because of its extreme stability and because we were able to create spaces in the middle of the canoe where two people could sleep at the same time. Eventually, we came to call this area of the canoe, “People Soup”. For an event this long, we were happy that we chose the stability and comfort of this design over a less stable and faster racing type hull. For nearly 17 days, this canoe was our home. We paddled it, ate in it, slept in it, went to the bathroom while in it, and a variety of other things as well. Generally speaking, three of us would paddle while one was sleeping, each person typically getting one three hour break and one four hour break each 24 hour cycle. At night, two would sleep for four hours and then we would swap for the second four hours of the night shift. The canoe had a large foot-controlled rudder, a bilge pump, charging ports, spot and gps tracking devices for safety and to comply with Guinness rules, a full woven deck, navigation and spot lights, Continued on next page
Continued from previous page and a tablet with navigation software that kept us in the main channel where the current was fastest. It also identified the location of underwater structures like wing dams and other dangerous obstacles, and it gave waypoint and checkpoint data to the stern paddler as well. All of these were powered by a motorcycle battery and all were designed by our canoe guru, Scott Duffus.
Any AuSable River Canoe Marathon paddler will tell you that paddling at night can be some of the most exhilarating paddling that you will ever do. They will probably also tell you that the night also sets the stage for some of the scariest paddling as well. Like the ARCM, paddling on the Mississippi River at night provided the Mississippi Speed Record team with some of the most memorable moments…and some of its scariest. The Mississippi River changes immensely as you travel from its headwaters to its terminus at Mile Marker Zero. At its headwaters, the Mighty Mississippi is but a mere creek running through lakes in the wilderness. At its end, the river is a 200 mile industrial port full of barges and ocean going ships. To set the record, the Mississippi Speed Record team needed to paddle day and night for 16 days through all of the conditions that the river provided.
Night paddling on the Mississippi was unique because you are paddling in the dark in so many different conditions. The headwaters of the Mississippi provides some of the most beautiful and serene paddling in North America. The three large lakes (Bemidji, Cass, and Winnibigoshish) the river flows through are full of natural beauty and splendor. The MSR team paddled across Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish at night. In terms of sheer beauty, Cass Lake was second to none. The lake was placid when the team crossed. The night sky was clear and the lake reflected the grandeur of the of the Milky Way off its surface. Paddling in solitude, the team listened all night to the unique calls of loons as their tones echoed across the lake. Cass Lake truly provided magnificence.
Lake Winnibigoshish provided magnificence as well. But many will tell you that Winnibigoshish’s magnificence comes with a price. Believe it or not, the lake is one of the most dangerous parts of the entire Mississippi River. The lake is shallow and winds whip up in a moment’s notice creating a cauldron of dangerous confused waves in frigid water. Many paddlers have died trying to cross the 17 mile lake. The MSR team planned to paddle across Winnibigoshish at night to try and take advantage of favorable conditions. Everything went according to plan when the team hit the lake connecting up with a safety boat at around 2am. Paddling on to Lake Winnibigoshish, conditions on the lake were perfect. The lake was calm and the night was beautiful. Again, the team enjoyed a starry sky reflecting off the lake. Excited about the excellent conditions and the news of a comfortable lead on the record, the team spent the first few hours joking and singing while paddling. But then the winds started to pick up and conditions began to change. The singing stopped when the waves grew in size. The team became “all business”. As dawn approached the swells grew and grew. The waves were extremely hard to paddle in because they came in all directions due to the wind and shallow water. The canoe bounced around like a cork as the sun came up and the team slowly reached the shore. With white knuckles, the team paddled with purpose in silence knowing the extreme dangers of the 3 to 4 foot swells that were tossing the canoe around. The bilge stayed on as water came over the gunwales and paddlers periodically had to bail. Finally, the team reached the Mississippi River’s inlet near a cove and the waves subsided near the shore. As the team exited the lake, the team breathed a sigh of relief as they were reminded of fickle power of Mother Nature and the multiplier of danger that darkness provides.
Portaging off of Lake Winnibigoshish, we reflected on our experi-
ence paddling on the AuSable River at night in the Marathon. Like the Marathon, when conditions worsened, laser focus was necessary not only to accomplish objectives, but to stay safe. Night paddling during the ARCM became a topic of conversation between us for the next few days. We talked about night paddling strategies on the AuSable River between verses of that one song we kept singing…what was it again…oh yeah, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Coincidentally, our final push to break the record came at night. We were incredibly nervous because the delta is so massive. There were giant ships everywhere, and there are these features on the lower Mississippi called, “Jumps.” Jumps are natural or man-made breaks in levees that are essentially massive whitewater flumes of river water trying to escape the channel of the Mississippi on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Every year, these jumps claim the lives of fishermen, hunters, and others who come too close to them and get drawn in. While we never came near a jump, we had constant low-grade anxiety about them for the last 50 miles of our attempt. Nonetheless, with Paul Cox in the bow and less than two hours to go, our final push became a frenzied sprint to the finish. Most of us couldn’t keep up with his stroke rate and would have to drop a stroke periodically to stay in time with him. We were all so stoked. For the first time on the trip, we actually let ourselves believe that we could break the record. And on top of our own stoke level, our support team and many of our family members rented a crew boat, a large boat that hauls workers to offshore oil rigs, to follow us to the finish. For the final 20 miles from Venice, LA, Wally Werderich’s mom, Anita, led our families and support team members in a series of calls and cheers with a megaphone from the deck of the ship that followed us. Upon arriving to Mile Marker Zero with the knowledge that we had just broken the record by almost 24 hours, we found ourselves in a state of shock, ecstasy, and unbelievable fatigue. So, we did what anyone would do who had just broken the record. We climbed to the top of Mile Marker Zero-a rickety scaffolding-like structure on top of half-rotten pile-ons and steel framing with a light on top—all while our families and friends cheered and supported us. For most of us, setting this record was a life-changing and transformative experience that taught us more about friendship, empathy, mental toughness, and caring for one another than it taught us about paddling. The Mississippi is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to have paddled it safely and successfully from source to sea.
Please check out the documentary film being made about our record setting paddle and support the documentarians who are making it wildernessmindset.com
Photos courtesy of Wilderness Mindset
By: Rachel Klebba
“W hat does the Special Olympics Canoe race mean to your family?”
As a family member of one of the special Olympic canoe race athletes, I can tell you that this is a cherished and excitement-filled event for our family. Specifically, for my sister, Megan Money, who is a participant in the event each year. “Mom, they are getting ready for my race!”, a phrase my sister has cheerfully announced many times as we drive through downtown Grayling and by Penrod’s Canoe Livery in the summer months leading up to the big race.
My sister is so excited for the Special Olympics race every year, and she will tell anyone who will listen to come out the Friday before the ARCM and cheer for her and the other athletes. This race will always be a big event in our family, as every year, my sister gets a chance to compete in the race and be the center of focus for countless fans who are there to support the athletes. We will be forever grateful for the Grayling Knights of Columbus who sponsor the Special Olympics Race each year and allow my sister to be included in the AuSable River Canoe Marathon festivities. For weeks following the event, my sister can be seen wearing her Special Olympics Canoe medal proudly around town.
Thank you again to those fans who support, and the groups, paddlers, and businesses that sponsor this great event. It will forever hold a special place in the hearts of the athletes and family members who look forward to it each year!
Continued from Page 18
MARGIN
1998 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 14:15:47 35:27 Patrick Lynch & Denis Marcouiller
1999 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin
14:08:18 18:00 Ken Kolonich & Steve Kolonich
2000 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 14:48:00 14:32 John Sullivan & Louis Berthiaume
2001 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 15:06:48 8:58 Tony Short & Denis Berthiaume
2002 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin 15:04:56 5:26 Mo Harwood, Jr. & Matthew Rimer
2003 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin
2004 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2005 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin
2006 Jim Harwood & Allen Limberg
2007 Andrew Triebold & Matthew Rimer
2008 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
14:55:03 1:48 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
14:59:46 0:13 Jeff Kolka & Serge Corbin
14:56:11 0:01 Matthew Rimer & Andrew Triebold
14:33:50 14:35 Rodney Halstead & Ryan Halstead
14:48:55 0:38 Matt Streib & Steve Corlew
14:09:06 23:25 Matt Streib & Steve Kolonich
2009 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie 14:17:42 11:36 Matt Streib & Steve Corlew
2010 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2011 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2012 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2013 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2014 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
2015 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
14:17:29 14:08 Steve Corlew & Bill Torongo
14:41:00 17:32 Rodney Halstead & Ryan Halstead
14:42:43 15:53 Josh Sheldon & Ryan Halstead
14:20:24 12:08 Nick Walton & Christophe Proulx
14:36:18 8:06 Nick Walton & Christophe Proulx
14:31:56 8:57 Mathieu Pellerin & Guillaume Blais
2016 Christophe Proulx & Ryan Halstead 14:29:26 0:01 Andrew Triebold & Jacob DuBois
2017 Christophe Proulx & Samuel Frigon
2018 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie
14:18:45 0:01
Steve Lajoie & Guillaume Blais
14:17:36 16:42 Christophe Proulx & Samuel Frigon
2019 Andrew Triebold & Steve Lajoie 14:15:34 4:39 Guillaume Blais & Samuel Frigon
2020 NO RACE WAS HELD
2021 Jorden Wakeley & Matt Meersman 13:54:09 ~Record 13:28 Wesley Dean & Weston Willoughby
2022 Steve Lajoie & Guillaume Blais
2023 Wesley Dean & Steve Lajoie
14:36:17 2:13 Wesley Dean & Ryan Halstead
14:23:06 2:42 Christophe Proulx & Ryan Halstead
* Race was held from Camp Ten to Oscoda in 1961
** Two day race in 1962-63-64-67-68 (Day 1: Grayling to Mio. Day 2: Mio to Oscoda)
*** Race won as a result of a 10 minute penalty to Steve Landick & Solomon Carrière (14:37:28)
As we get ready for the 76 th AuSable Canoe River Marathon, I wanted to take a moment to remind folks that we do have merchandise online now! The Marathon is a remarkable event that attracts people from all over the world to northeast Michigan. Merchandise has always been an important part of the race, but we were looking for other ways to reach people who loved the Marathon but could not attend. The website allows Marathon fans to order and have items delivered to most places worldwide.
Having an active merchandise website also means we never run out of products. If we sell out of a size or item locally, you can now order it and have it delivered. As the site develops, we encourage ideas from all of you. If you have an item you are interested in, please email the address below, and we will try to make it available on the site.
The AuSable River Canoe Marathon is such an exhilarating event. I look forward to people near and far having the opportunity to purchase our unique merchandise every year. For your convenience, the QR Code to the site is below. Enjoy the race, and I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Mike Stephenson, AuSable River Canoe Marathon Committee Member plecopsales@gmail.com
FRIDAY, JULY.19.2024
5:30pm Annual Car & Truck Show Cruise Night – 5:30pm Food & Refreshments, 7pm Start of Cruise at Northstar Auto Wash – Event Details, Contact Dan Mygrants at 989.745.5880.
SATURDAY, JULY.20.2024
8-10am Pancake Breakfast at Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church
8am-3pm Annual Classic Car & Truck Show on Michigan Ave (Registration 7–10am, $15/vehicle, Trophies 2:30pm) All are welcome to come and see the cars, Classic, Rat Rod, & Modern Muscle. More details to follow.
SPIKES CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
8am Registration for all Spike’s Challenge Events will run from 8am until 2pm at the City Park Pavilion. These events include C-1 Race, C-2 Race, Junior and Fledgling Races, Mentor Races
9am Sprints for Starting Position of C-2 Race, Grayling City Park Pond 2pm Junior, Fledgling, Mentor races on the Pond
5pm Registration continues for all races at Joe Wakeley’s House for C-1 pre-race, Junior C-2 Race to Burton’s Landing. Please, No dogs in Joe’s Yard.
5:30pm Start of Junior C-2 Race to Burton’s Landing, beginning on Ingham St.
6pm Start of the C-1 race start at Ingham St.
6pm Blessing of the Paddlers Concert - City Park Pavilion by Grayling E Free Church. Event details, contact Dan DeFever 616-206-3999
SUNDAY, JULY.21.2024
SPIKES CHALLENGE SCHEDULE
8:30am Line up of the C-2 Start of the Spike’s Challenge on Ingham Street
9am Start of the 2024 C-2 Spike’s
Challenge
2pm Lunch and Awards Banquet at the City Park Pavilion – bring a lawn chair.
MONDAY, JULY.22.2024
Marathon MONDAY - Wear your Favorite Marathon Shirt #MarathonMonday, tag us with your hashtag & pictures @ausableriverfestival on Facebook!
4pm Well Being Evening in the Park, Local Vendors and Classes in the Grayling City Park to relax and recharge the mind and body
TUESDAY, JULY.23.2024
10am-2pm Kid’s Day in Grayling City Park- Kids are welcome to come enjoy a day of activities in the park! 5pm Da$h for Ca$h in Oscoda
WEDNESDAY, JULY.24.2024
4-6pm Time Trials for AuSable River Canoe Marathon at Penrod’s Canoe Livery
6-9pm HUP Race at the Grayling City Park
THURSDAY, JULY.25.2024
11am-8pm Food Trucks/Food Vendors on the 100 Block
12-7pm Craft Show Vendor Set up in Grayling City Park
1-5pm Registration for C-1 Express Race at C-1 tent at Penrod’s
3-6:30pm Time Trials for AuSable River Canoe Marathon at Penrod’s Canoe Livery
3pm-Midnight AuSable Mainstage performances on the 200 Block of Michigan Ave. All performances free to the public
3pm-12am Brew Ave. opens in the AuSable Main Stage Area, need not be 21 to enter, must be 21 with a valid ID present to receive a wristband to purchase beer tickets!
4:20pm Business Relays taking place at Penrod’s hosted by Hanson Hills.
More details to follow. $20 per Business.
6pm C-1 Express Race Penrod’s to Burton’s Landing
FRIDAY, JULY.26.2024
6:30-10am Craft Show Vendor Set up in Grayling City Park
10am-8pm Arts & Crafts Show in Grayling City Park
11am-8pm Vendors and Activity booths on the 100 Block of Michigan Ave.
11am-8pm Food Trucks/Food Vendors on the 100 Block
Noon-Midnight AuSable Mainstage performances on the 200 Block of Michigan Ave. All performances are free to the public!
12pm-12am Brew Ave. opens in the AuSable Main Stage Area, need not be 21 to enter, you must be 21 with a valid ID present to receive a wristband to purchase beer tickets!
2-4:30pm Time Trials for AuSable River Canoe Marathon at Penrod’s Canoe Livery
2:45pm Special Olympics Canoe Races at Penrod’s Canoe Livery 4-7pm Grayling Eagles Annual Steak Out Dinner
2-5 pm Boat Sequestering Event at Elementary School, Paddler Briefing will follow at the Kirtland Events Center Gymnasium. NOT open to the Public
8pm-11pm Grayling Youth Booster Club will be selling concessions in the Brew Ave Area
SATURDAY, JULY.27.2024
9am-Noon Boat Sequestering Event at Elementary School. NOT open to the Public
8-10:30am Lumberjack Breakfast hosted by Grayling Restaurant
9am GRA’s 10K/5K (Road Running), starts at Hanson Hills Recreation Area. Registration Online only 9am-6pm Arts & Crafts Show at Grayling City Park
10am 4th Annual Corn Hole Tournament taking place in the AuSable Main Stage Area (9am Registration) 11am-1pm Miss AuSable River Festival Program on the Main Stage – 3 age groups (Little, Junior, and Miss) 11am-8pm Vendors and Activity booths on the 100 Block of Michigan Ave.
11am-8pm Food Trucks/Food Vendors on the 100 Block of Michigan Ave
12pm-12am Brew Ave. opens in the AuSable Main Stage Area, need not be 21 to enter, you must be 21 with a valid ID present to receive a wristband to purchase beer tickets!
12-9pm Grayling American Legion Beer Tent.
1pm-Midnight AuSable Mainstage performances on the 200 Block of Michigan Ave. All performances free to the public!
3pm Duck Derby Dump City Park Bridge
4pm AuSable River Festival Parade Downtown Grayling - Route on James St.
6pm Pre-Race Program at Old AuSable Fly Shop
6:45pm Introduction of Paddlers at Old AuSable Fly Shop
7:45pm Posting of the Colors at Old AuSable Fly Shop
9pm Start of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon at the Old AuSable Fly Shop (paddling from Grayling to Oscoda)
9pm-Midnight Grayling Youth Booster Club will be selling concessions in the Brew Ave Area
SUNDAY, JULY.28.2024
End of 76th Annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon in Oscoda – Leaders 11:30am to Finishers 4pm
1 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42) 1999 14:08:18 1st 2 Andrew Triebold
9th 5 Nick Walton (48) & Serge Pagé (44) 2021 14:27:48 10th Seniors Division 1 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56) 2021 15:00:42 17th 2 Robert Bradford (56) & Al Widing, Sr. (74) 1999 15:21:22 15th 3 Tom Trudgeon (51) & Phil Trudgeon (50) 2010 15:22:04 16th 4 Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51) 2016 15:24:29 12th 5 Allen Limberg (52) & Barb Bradley (53) 2010 15:26:37 18th Veterans Division 1 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63) 2021 15:52:00 34th 2 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62) 2022 15:59:05 17th 3 Dan Mecklenburg (61) & Jon Webb (63) 2023 16:05:51 31st 4 Robert Bradford (63) & Al Widing, Sr. (81) 2006 16:09:06 29th
5 Robert Bradford (62) & Al Widing, Sr. (80) 2005 16:17:31 22nd Continued on Page 28
Connie Cannon grew up in a paddling family. She watched her brothers paddle and joined them on the river, along with her husband Tom. Connie has an impressive 14 start and 14 finish Marathon record. Connie held the Women’s Division record with partner Lynne Witte from 1991-1993. In 1994, she set another Women’s Division record with partner Carrie Trudgeon. Connie completed 10 Marathons in 2006 and received the Iron Paddler Award.
Ed and Marge Martella are long time Marathon volunteers and committee members. Their dedication to the race shows that you do not need to be a paddler to make a great impact on the race. After moving to the Grayling area in 1975, they began watching the paddlers go past their house on the river. They soon became involved as volunteers and then went on to become committee members. During the course of their involvement, they were timers, safety coordinators, feeders for their 3 sons and served as Marathon Co-Chairs for several years in the 1990’s.
The Marathon Committee would like to thank B&B General Contracting and P&L Development of Oscoda for their support of the 2023 Champions Banner project!! We couldn’t have done it without your support.
Saturday, July 13 - C-2 race frpm Cooke Dam to the finish line of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, at the AuSable Inn. Registration begins at 7:00am at Cooke Dam, with the race starting at 9:00am. The winning time is about 2.5 hours. There is an MCRA picnic following the C-2 race at the American Legion Pavillion. Donation proceeds go to benefit the MCRA Canoers Memorial on River Rd. Eating begins around 12:30pm with award following.
Sunday, July 14 - C-1 Race. Registration at Childrens Park in AuSable starts at 8:00am. The race starts at 10:00am at Childrens Park. The Race Course: Paddlers will race 2 laps from Childrens Park to round a bouy just downstream of the railroad trestle bridge and back. Winning time is about 1 hour.
Checkpoints
Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2018 0:41:12 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Stephan Bridge 2018 0:31:38 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Wakeley Bridge 1999 0:28:27 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
McMasters Bridge 1999 0:55:44 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 1:03:00 Nick Walton (48) & Serge Pagé (44)
Camp Ten Bridge 2019 1:03:58 Andrew Triebold (43) & Steve Lajoie (43) (Tie) 2021 1:03:58 Patrick Madden (41) & Steve Watson (49)
Mio Dam
1999 0:24:04 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
McKinley Bridge 2018 1:41:49 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
4001 Bridge 1999 0:50:39 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Alcona Dam 1999 0:36:23 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Loud Dam 2019 1:48:44 Andrew Triebold (43) & Steve Lajoie (43)
Five Chan. Dam 1999 0:23:57 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Cooke Dam 2018 0:58:59 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42) (Tie) 2023 0:58:59 Chris Issendorf (41) & Pete Mead (42)
Foote Dam 2023 1:09:17 Chris Issendorf (41) & Pete Mead (42)
Oscoda (Finish) 2009 1:18:21 Bruce Barton (52) & Connie Cannon (48)
The Consumers Energy AuSable River Canoe Marathon July 27-28, 2024
May 17-19, 2024
Women’s Spring Wellness Weekend Camp Nissokone YMCA email: camp@ymcadetriot.org
May 18, 2024
Armed Forces Day Wurtsmith Air Museum Reopens.
May 31, 2024
Huron Forest Camp CedarRidge Reopens www.campcedarridge.org
May 31 - June 2nd 2024
Villages of Oscoda Homeowners Yard Sale office@voohoa.net
June 29th-30th
40th Annual Art on the Beach
Saturday: 9am-5pm Sunday: 10 am-4pm Oscoda Beach Park (989)739-7322 events@oscodachamber.com
June 22nd-23rd
Welcome Home Weekend & WWII Encampment Wurtsmith Air Museum email@wurthsmithairmuseum.org
Paul Bunyan Challenges TO BE ANNOUNCED
July 4th, 2024
Fourth of July Parade
Downtown Oscoda events@oscodachamber.com
July 13th (Tentative)
Copeland Memorial Golf Tournament
Sponsor: Wurtsmith Air Museum
Location: Lakewood Shores Golf Course email@wurthsmithairmuseum.org
July 13th (9AM) and July 14th (10AM)
Curley Memorial Canoe Race riverjustin@gmail.com
July 22nd-27th 2024
Iosco County Fair County Fairgrounds, Hale info@ioscocountyfair.com
July 23rd, 2024
Dash for Cash Canoe Race contact@ausablecanoemarathon.org
July 27th-28th 2024
AuSable River Canoe Marathon Longest Non-Stop Canoe race in the world contact@ausablecanoemarathon.org
August 6th-10th 2024
Alcona County Fair 854 North Barlow Road, Lincoln, Michigan (989) 736-7322
August 9th, 2024
Smokey Bear 80th Birthday Bash Oscoda Veterans Memorial Park Oscoda AuSable Chamber of Commerce (989) 739-7322 - events@oscodachamber.com
August 11th, 2024
Battle for the Paddle Scholarship Golf Outing Red Hawk Golf Course (989) 739-7322 - events@oscodachamber.com
August 16th and 17th 2024 Fly-In & Breakfast Wurtsmith Air Museum email@wurtsmithairmuseum.org
August 24th 2024
Michigan Crossroads Council Boy Scouts of America Aviation Camporee Wurtsmith Air Museum email@wurtsmithairmuseum.org
August 30th - September 2nd 2024
Labor Day Weekend Family Camp Camp Nissokone YMCA camp@ymcadetroit.org
September 6th-8th 2024
National Walleye Tour Lake Huron - Oscoda Michigan (989) 739-7322 - events@oscodachamber.com
September 7th 2024 Rockfest
Michigan-made original Rock bands fundraiser 2pm - 11pm Saturday Veterans Memorial Park 4000 North Skeel Avenue
September 6th-8th 2024
Annual Paul Bunyan Days Furtaw Field - (989)739-7322 events@oscodachamber.com
September 20th- 22nd 2024
Women’s Fall Wellness Weekend Camp Nissokone YMCA camp@ymcadetroit.org
October 10th-12th 2024
Bigfoot Bash 2024 Shoreline Players Theater 6000 North Skeel Avenue, Oscoda, MI 48750 www.oscodachamber.com
October 5th, 2024
22nd Lions Club Fall Arts & Crafts Show Oscoda Area High School (989) 739-3911 - president@oscodalions.org
October 15th, 2024
Fall Harvest Festival
Downtown Oscoda on Dwight Street (989)739-7322 - events@oscodachamber.com
December 7th 2024
Northern Lights Christmas Parade
Downtown Oscoda (989) 739-7322 - events@oscodachamber.com
Wednesdays: May till October
NE MI Regional Farm Market Shoreline Park AuSable 8 am to 1 pm www.getitfresh.org
June till September
Bike Nights on Dwight Street
Thursdays at Office Lounge & Grill (989) 739-3388
June till August
Rotary of Oscoda Concerts on the Beach Oscoda Beach Park - Band Shell 7 pm on Thursdays (989) 739-7322
A 120-mile canoe Marathon is virtually unheard of by most normal people. But I’ve got a bunch of friends who do something that’s one step closer to crazy – we are the “Marathon feeders.”
As our team paddles through the night, we wade into the river every two hours and give them fresh food and drink. This means entering the river in the blinding dark with flashing red lights. This means scrambling down the back side of a dam to meet them with a fresh shirt and paddle. This means finding two tracks that lead to a tiny slice of river in the middle of a Michigan night to “check on them.” (At which time, they will flat-out ignore us or shout something unintelligible.)
And after you’ve done it for 10 years, something scary happens. You become a veteran.
First off, you do not want to become a veteran. Everyone will ask you for advice and expect answers. Good ones even. You will be asked to give directions and, horrors, sketch maps for them. You will be expected to know the remedy for everything from nausea to concussions. And, in a shocking discovery, you’ll realize you do. This is when you know you’ve come too far, you’re in too deep. You might be a lifer.
are not rushing to each feed, you are only hoping your team will make the cut-off time.
But each year your team will gain speed and, in direct correlation, you will lose sleep. As the years pass, you decide that all you really need is 20 precious minutes of sleep for the night. t usually happens at Alcona Dam, just after daybreak. You will be so desperate and done at this point that you will knowingly risk the livelihood of your team as you recline your car seat ever so slightly.
You will set 5 alarms in the car for fear of oversleeping. You will ask another 5 feeders to come get you in 20 minutes. You will then close your eyes and have one pounding minute of deep, surreal, gorgeous sleep… before jerking awake at a moth landing on the windshield of a car two doors down. You will go into a full-out panic before realizing you have 19 more minutes to sleep. You will repeat this 18 more times.
By year 10, well into your veteran years, you will realize it’s just easier to stay the hell awake. You need no food.
Signs That You Are A Lifer: You feel no weather.
Just a few days ago, I was trading war stories with another feeder. It was only her second Marathon. She mentioned the fact that last year’s Marathon was so, so cold. The conversation slammed to a halt.
“Cold?” I asked.
“Freezing!” she said.
I grabbed her arm. “Ohmygod, I don’t remember it being cold at all.”
“At all?” she whispered.
“At all,” I whispered back.
Diagnosis final. With robotic precision, I gather, I marched into the river, withstood its subzero temps, delivered the goods and marched back out. I mixed bottles and chopped fruit and pro-offered paddles. I drove back roads and forged rivers. I served with militant focus, repelling precipitation and barometer readings wherever I went.
If I were pressed, I might remember enjoying taking off my cold shoes after the last feed. But overall, I remember feeling neither warm nor cold, wet nor dry. It was with a silent nod of agreement that my friend and I was in deep, I was a veteran. You need no sleep.
For the first few years of feeding, your biggest concern is not your team. Your biggest concern is you and your lack of shut-eye. You haven’t pulled an all-nighter since college and, then, booze was involved. This will be a sober endeavor, complete with responsibilities and motor vehicle operation.
With any luck, for the first few years, your team is slow. This means your feeds will be well spaced-out, allotting a few minutes of rest between each feed. These are the golden years. Enjoy them. You
You pack enough for dinner, breakfast and lunch, in that order. You also pack a late-night snack and a late-late-night snack. (You also count out enough drinks for a 15-hour stint in the car. But in the end, you will drink almost nothing. After one trip into the backwoods with Kleenex, you are determined to dehydrate for the rest of the event.)
At first you try to eat. You want to be in tip-top shape for the job at hand. But as the night wears on, you realize you have no appetite (robbed from you at each feed when things teeter between going very right and very wrong at every second). By 2 in the morning, you reason that you would never eat at 2 in the morning on a normal night, so why now? By 7 a.m., you force half a banana down. By 9 a.m., you realize you’re well on your way to the longest dieting-stretch you’ve ever had. If you can tough it out another 6 hours, you’ve got the makings of a scale-detectable weight loss. Your appetite disappears altogether.
When your team finishes, it’s about 2 p.m. on Sunday. You come out of your stupor and realize the sun is shining, you’re starving and you would kill a man to sleep in his bed at that very instant.
But you hang on. It’s still another hour before the hotel check-in. You order a pizza. You sit in the parking lot of the hotel and you very, very slightly recline your seat. You wait for the pizza man. One more feed to go. Like a true veteran, you do not rest until the last job is done.
Kandace Chapple is a seasoned feeder who has been trying to get out of the game for years. She owns Michigan Girl, a women’s event business in Traverse City. You can reach her at kandace@michgirl.com.
Crawford County-Stephan, Wakeley and McMasters bridges will be closed to all vehicle traffic during the race. Spectator vehicles will not be allowed to cross the river at these bridges.
Oscoda County-Parmalee Bridge will be closed to spectators but passable for vehicles. No portable lighting will be available. If you are viewing the race from here, there are good sites along the campground on the north side or at the public access site on the south.
Mio Dam-Spectators are not allowed on the spillway. There is a walkway from the MDOT parking area, south of M-72, under the bridge to the dam. You will not have to walk across the highway to get to the dam. Spectators must stay clear of the pathway and the put-in areas as the teams portage Mio Dam.
Follow LIVE Results during race night
4001 Bridge-The U.S. Forest Service may issue tickets for parking in the lot at the boat launch site without the valid parking pass.
Alcona Dam-Only feeders and officials will be allowed into the dam parking lot. Spectators should park in the field on the north side of the river and walk across the bridge to the portage area.
Loud Dam-There will only be parking for feeders on one side of the road leading to the dam. Only feeders and officials will be allowed into the dam parking lot.
Five Channels-Pedestrians and vehicles will not be permitted on the new bridge, but spectators are allowed on the old bridge. Parking in the dam parking lot is for feeders only. Spectators can park in a large field at the top of the hill on the south side of the river.
Whirlpool near Oscoda-Everyone must park in the parking lot — not at the boat launch. The U.S. Forest Service will issue tickets at this area.
Foote Dam-The dam will be closed to spectators but you can view the race from the new fishing platforms across the river. Leader’s
1. Burton’s Landing 9:40 p.m. 2. Stephan Bridge 10:15 p.m. 3. Wakeley Bridge 10:45 p.m.
McMasters Bridge 11:45 p.m.
Parmalee Bridge 12:45 a.m.
Camp 10 Bridge 1:55 a.m. 7. Mio Dam 2:15 a.m. 8. McKinley Bridge 4:00 a.m. 9. 4001 Bridge 5:00 a.m.
10. Alcona Dam 5:30 a.m. 11. Loud Dam 7:20 a.m.
12. Five Channels Dam 7:45 a.m.
13. Cooke Dam 8:45 a.m.
14. Foote Dam 10:00 a.m.
15. Oscoda (finish) 11:15 a.m. *All times are approximate
Checkpoints
Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton's Landing 2018 0:41:12
Stephan Bridge 2018 1:12:50
Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Wakeley Bridge 1993 1:41:29 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
McMasters Bridge 2021 2:37:46
Jorden Wakeley (31)
& Matt Meersman (44)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 3:39:30 Jorden Wakeley (31)
& Matt Meersman (44)
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 4:41:15 Jorden Wakeley (31)
& Matt Meersman (44)
Mio Dam 2021 5:05:38 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
McKinley Bridge 2021 6:48:05 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
4001 Bridge 2021 7:38:04 Jorden Wakeley (31)
& Matt Meersman (44)
Alcona Dam 2021 8:14:26 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Loud Dam 2021 10:01:54 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Five Chan Dam 2021 10:26:58 Jorden Wakeley (31)
& Matt Meersman (44)
Cooke Dam 2021 11:27:41 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Foote Dam 2021 12:37:48 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Oscoda 2021 13:54:09 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
2nd Half 1994 7:01:54 Serge Corbin (37) & Solomon Carrière (37)
Join Consumers Energy for a free breakfast at the finish line of the 76th annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon.
Pancakes will be served while supplies last from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday July 28 at the Au Sable Inn parking lot, 600 S. State St., Oscoda.
Last year, about 350 people attended the breakfast before paddlers finished the 75th anniversary race.
The race will start in Grayling on July 27 and paddlers will make the 120 mile trek to Oscoda.
Rodney Matthews
Out-of-State Logan Mynar & Clay Wyatt Patrick Madden & Ryan Zaveral International Robin Eschbach & Michael SchulzeLouis-Simon Pruneau & Christian Charette
Continental Christophe Proulx & Ryan Halstead Wes Dean & Steve Lajoie
All-Michigan Sean Brabant & Caleb WatsonTom Trudgeon & Dane Trudgeon
The exclusive Flagship station of the ARCM Radio Network
Creator and developer of the ARCM Radio Network
Larry Roberts, the voice of the ARCM, broadcast exclusively on 98.5 UPS
Real time on the river coverage / updates during the race, with over eighteen (18) hours of race coverage
Official station of the Time Trials
We’re committed to the ARCM, Grayling, The AuSable River Valley, Oscoda, and all the sponsors that support this great race, and event
Checkpoints Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2022 0:50:43 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Stephan Bridge 2022 1:28:26
Wakeley Bridge 2022 2:02:44
McMasters Bridge 2022 3:07:12
Parmalee Bridge 2021 4:14:56
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 5:23:15
Mio Dam 2021 5:50:46
McKinley 2021 7:42:37
4001 Bridge 2021 8:36:56
Alcona Dam 2021 9:19:35
Loud Dam 2021 11:21:27
Five Channels Dam 2021 11:50:57
Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Cooke Dam 2021 12:59:29 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Foote Dam 2021 14:21:57
Oscoda 2021 15:52:00
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
2nd Half 2023 8:01:39 Dan Mecklenburg (61) & Jon Webb (63)
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feeders and spectators!
Crazy and Collected started off as two moms pursuing the goal of completing the 120 mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon… what we didn’t expect was the team of people and support that would come with it. Our social media page (@ crazyandcollected) turned into inspiring others to step outside comfort zones, go after the unattainable, do something that scares you and it kept us account able and motivated along the way. Our mission of “just completing the race” quickly became a life changing adventure.
We trained for the Marathon in a short 322 days, with neither one of us having ex perience. Mallory had raced one small race many years prior and Alison had only gotten in a recreational canoe a hand full of times over her lifetime. We were extremely blessed to be able to borrow a boat from Mallory’s Aunt Ellen and Uncle Jon Thompson to start us on our adventure and from the day we got our boat, we were all in and ready to tackle the goal of completing the race.
Training for the canoe Marathon in such a short time frame wasn’t what any seasoned Marathon paddler suggested. We got tons
work harder to prove them otherwise. We asked tons of questions to paddlers, paddled with people who had more experience than us, and did a lot of trial and error on our own.
The amount of we spent training was an amazing feat. Between the two of us we had 6 kids all under the age of 10 and worked full time jobs. We would wake up at 4:45am to hop on the Kalamazoo river or head to the gym and make it back home before the sun ever came up. We squeezed training in to fit with our extremely busy lives and never let the excuse of “too busy”
friendship was already strong when we committed to paddling 120 miles together but this race really does change you. When tackling something this hard, having a teammate stand beside you, encourage you and believe in you one hundred percent is worth its weight in gold. Crossing that finish line together was one memory that we will both be telling our grand kids about someday. We certainly faced our share of adversity on the river that night, but we showed true grit and completed the Marathon. It wasn’t glamorous
since 1925
The Forward family of brands is proud to sponsor the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon.
The AuSable River Canoe Marathon is a grueling, non-stop 120 mile canoe race starting in Grayling and ending in Oscoda. Each year elite paddlers come from all over the world to try their luck at completing the “Marathon”. The 2023 race was the 75th AuSable River Canoe Marathon (ARCM) and two paddlers from Belize decided to come and join the fun. Carlos Linares and Cristian Lopez had heard tales of the race from friend and Marathon paddler Judson Steinback; listening to him talk about the race made them eager and excited to try it for themselves.
Both Carlos and Cristian are seasoned paddlers as they compete frequently in Belize. However, they normally paddle three-man canoes. When asked if there was a noticeable difference between the two, Carlos explained that the C3 canoes require much more power to paddle. They are heavier and tip easier as well. Both men found the C2’s much easier to maneuver, especially in shallower water.
Their journey to the Marathon began in mid-July. After making it to Michigan, Marathon paddlers Judson Steinback, Tim Sheldon and Nathan Widing assisted them with lodging and equipment. The two men then began training for the race and getting familiar with the AuSable River. Carlos expressed how beautiful he felt the AuSable River was. They both enjoyed paddling the river and found night paddling to be exciting and challenging.
As the race got closer, their excitement grew. With feeders lined up and things in place, race night was finally upon them. The atmosphere in Grayling race night is unbelievable, and for 2 rookie paddlers from Belize, it was a dream come true. The pre-race show was over, they had been introduced to the racing world and the cheers went up. If one thing is certain, it doesn’t matter where you are from, you have
the entire spectator field supporting you and rooting for you to finish. At nine-o-clock sharp the gun goes off. Adrenaline pumps as the canoes are picked up off Peninsular Ave and the racers begin their run to the river. Names and boat numbers are shouted, but the only thing that the paddlers hear is the blood pumping inside their ears. For the next 14-18 hours it is sheer determination, perseverance and in some cases just plain luck that carries you and your canoe down the river toward Oscoda.
Throughout the night, as you paddle, you can become disoriented and confused. The moonlight on the water and the sheer silence can get you turned around. It is during this time that other paddlers encourage each other to keep going. Cristian talked about Gloria Wesley, and how helpful and kind she was to them during the night. The memory that both Carlos and Cristian said will stay with them forever is the feeling they had after paddling through the night and finally seeing the sun come up. The river was foggy and they felt like they were paddling in the clouds.
The finish line was theirs to conquer!! On the afternoon of July 30, 2023, after paddling 15 hours 43 minutes and 5 seconds, Carlos Linares and Cristian Lopez, the rookie team from Belize crossed the finish line in 21st place!! Their goal met, their dream fulfilled; they were Marathon finishers!!
So you might be wondering, what next? Will they return? Absolutely!!! They both plan to be here in July 2024 for the 76th Consumers Energy AuSable River Canoe Marathon, though they will not be paddling together this year. They both have new Marathon partners, but you can be assured they will support each other and quite possibly challenge each other as they reach for a new goal - break into the top 20!! Good luck to both of you and I can’t wait to see you on the river!!
Created by Hall of Fame Historian John B. Cook, the Iron Paddler Award is given to paddlers who have finished ten or more AuSable River Canoe Marathons in the Expert Division. To put ten finishes into perspective, it is 1,200 miles of intense hardcore paddling; it is a minimum of 500,000 relentless paddle strokes; it is a minimum of 140 hours of grueling canoe racing.
These paddlers are diehard and dedicated. These paddlers are iron-willed and incredible. These paddlers are the TOUGHEST OF THE TOUGH!!
The night is finally here. Au Sable Canoe Marathon race night. We’ve been following the race since childhood. Our father raced with his friend, our brothers and cousins raced. It is just a given, the last weekend in July is race weekend. We hope for a nice night with no rain. But if it does, we’re ready.
The day of the race we prep our timing spots. We weed whack a path down to the bridge since the grass is tall, slippery from dew, it’s dark and steep at 11:30 at night. We also make sure under the bridge is ready and semi-level for our chairs. When we return it’ll be time to get busy and settle in under the bridge to time the teams.
We prep our car with supplies. Chairs for timing, blankets to wrap up in, cushions, thermoses of coffee, cooler of food, cords for phones and extra clothes. Clothes and shoes for any type of weather. Once the race starts, we’re in for the long haul until it ends.
We head to Grayling setting the radio with race night stations. We talk about which teams have entered this year, how many countries are represented, rookie/mixed/women’s teams and what the weather has in store for us. We park with a quick straight shot out of town down the north side of the river.
We have an early evening timer’s meeting to pick up our notebooks. We are given a timer’s book at the meeting on race day. It is specific to our timing site. Each bridge or dam is a timing location. It contains essential information from time schedules, names of all race teams, information of other timers at each site and contact information to officials running the race. The meeting also informs us how many teams will officially start the race and any other pertinent information we need to know. After the meeting we’re free to circulate around town until the beginning of the race. We need to be at the starting point to begin our timer’s clock.
We time two spots. First a bridge and later in the race a dam. Luckily, during the race we are able to observe portions of the race between our timing spots. Arriving at our bridge it’s dark. Now is when we check the weather. More clothes, shoes and socks or just warmer jacket and blanket to wrap in? We usually get to our timing spot 30-40 minutes before the first team is to arrive to get organized. We meet our radio team for our site. The radio team notifies team times to the race officials in Grayling and/or Oscoda depending where you time in the race. We need to get settled in - we’re here for the first team, until the last team has gone by and all teams are accounted for that started the race. We are cognizant that not all teams know this river like the back of their hand.
When the time nears for the first team should arrive, we listen for the bell that someone clangs up river as teams pass. We shine a light across the river to catch the number of each canoe, call it out and hit the timer’s clock. The tape gives us the time that each team has passed our checkpoint. Then the canoe number and time is recorded in our notebook. We relay the information to the radio person sitting with us and she/he radios the information to headquarters. We also watch for teams which might pull to shore to pull out of the race, due to illness or equipment failure, needing a quick regroup, or fix a canoe. We check to see if their team needs assistance. We need to officially account for all teams that are still in the race before we leave. This is when the radio person can be extremely helpful relaying information of any teams that have pulled out earlier in the race. We’ll be here approximately 3-4 hours.
When we arrived at the bridge it was scarce of people. We settled in under the bridge and prepared for timing. Sitting under the bridge you can hear the number of people above you growing, waiting for the teams to arrive. Loud cheering for the first portion of participating teams as the race passes down river. It slowly gets quieter as the race and crowd is moving down the river while we wait for the teams that still haven’t passed by. Packing up the car it’s deserted even more than when we arrived. We load up and head down river to watch a few portages at Mio Dam.
Alcona Dam, arrive in the dark and leave with the sun rising in the sky. It’s always really cold before the sun comes up and as the dew arrives. We follow the same process as before. Arrive 30 minutes early, set up and wait. Here we have a much easier time watching teams arrive in the daybreak at the dam. This can be much different if the pond is filled with fog. Those years are interesting. Teams in the past have gotten lost and paddled the wrong way because they got turned around on the large pond.
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After all teams have passed our second timing spot at the dam, it’s daylight. We clean up the site, our chairs, timing book, coffee and thermoses in the car. Poles and spectator tape taken down. We scan the shore for any trash on the portage and walk down to where the teams enter the river over the dam. We want to make sure we leave it as pristine clean as when we arrived. We’re off to follow the rest of the race heading eventually to Oscoda and the finish line.
People are at the heart of what we do.
At Huntington, we know the business of banking is about moving money responsibly. But we also know that behind the numbers there are always people. Human lives. Our families, friends and neighbors. It’s an honor to be part of the lives that help our communities prosper. And for that privilege, we thank you.
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Burton’s Landing 2018 0:41:12 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Stephan Bridge 2017 0:31:24 Steve Lajoie (41) & Guillaume Blais (31)
Wakeley Bridge 1993 0:28:21 Tony Short (29) & Scott McKenzie (35)
McMasters Bridge 2021 0:54:50 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Parmalee Bridge 1996 1:01:43 Jeff Kolka (37) & Serge Corbin (39)
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 1:01:45 Jorden Wakeley (31) & Matt Meersman (44)
Mio Dam 1975 0:22:05 Jerry Kellogg (31) & Jeff Kellogg (30)
McKinley Bridge 2021 1:41:11 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
4001 Bridge 2014 0:48:55 Andrew Triebold (38) & Steve Lajoie (38)
Alcona Dam 2017 0:35:31 Christophe Proulx (22) & Samuel Frigon (21)
Loud Dam 1987 1:43:10 Serge Corbin (30) & Brett Stockton (24)
Five Chan. Dam 2010 0:23:06 Josh Taylor (31) & Matt Meersman (33)
Cooke Dam 1986 0:57:13 Randy Drake (32) & Eric McNett (31)
Foote Dam 1987 1:08:11 Serge Corbin (30) & Brett Stockton (24)
Oscoda (Finish) 1991 1:15:32 Serge Corbin (34) & Brett Stockton (28)
Checkpoints Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2022 0:50:43 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Stephan Bridge 2022 0:37:43 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Wakeley Bridge 2023 0:33:58 Dan Mecklenburg (61) & Jon Webb (63)
McMasters Bridge 2021 1:02:04 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 1:07:13 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 1:08:19 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Mio Dam 2011 0:26:35 Michael Fairchild (60) & Peter Heed (61)
McKinley Bridge 2021 1:51:51 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
4001 Bridge 2021 0:54:19 Fred Mills (67) & Tim McClure (63)
Alcona Dam 2022 0:39:53 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Loud Dam 2006 2:00:08 Robert Bradford (63) & Al Widing, Sr. (81)
Five Channels Dam 2019 0:27:16 Michael Garon (61) & Doug Gillin (60)
Cooke Dam 2022 1:05:03 Dan Mecklenburg (60) & Jon Webb (62)
Foote Dan 2023 1:17:53 Dan Mecklenburg (61) & Jon Webb (63)
Oscoda 2006 1:29:15 Robert Bradford (63) & Al Widing, Sr. (81)
The first championship trophy for the AuSable River Canoe Marathon was the Tom Marston Memorial Trophy. Thomas F. Marston was the founder and first secretary-manager of the East Michigan Tourist Association (E.M.T.A.), a position he held from 1924 until his death in 1942. The E.M.T.A. was heavily involved with the creation of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon in 1947, and a vital supporter and promoter of the race in its infancy.
In the early years of the race, any team which won three Marathons in a row would earn permanent possession of the Marston Trophy, and a new Marston Trophy would be commissioned for future races. The first team to three-peat and win permanent possession of the Marston Trophy was Ted Engel, Jr. & Jay Stephan, Sr., winning the 1950, 1951, and 1952 races. The second team to claim permanent possession of the Tom Marston Trophy was Don Feldhauser and Bernie Fowler, champions in 1953, 1954, and 1955. The whereabouts of the third Marston Trophy are unknown. Although several paddlers individually won three or more consecutive races in the years after the 1955 Marathon, another team would not win three races in a row until the early 1990’s. That feat was accomplished by the team of Serge Corbin of Quebec and Brett Stockton of Michigan, winners of the 1990, 1991, and 1992 Marathons.
By this time in the race’s history, however, the practice of awarding permanent possession of a single trophy to the winning team had ceased. In fact, it appears that the Tom Marston Trophy was replaced with the Gerald Curley Memorial Trophy sometime in the 1960’s. Gerald E. “Jerry” Curley was a young paddler from Oscoda who tragically drowned in Lake Huron in July 1953, while training in preparation for the AuSable River Canoe Marathon. Gerald’s death partly inspired the creation of the Canoer’s Memorial Monument, located along River Road near Cooke Pond in Oscoda. Gerald’s father Harry Curley was instrumental in the continued success of the Marathon in the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s, and Harry was quoted that
his tireless efforts were performed in memory of his son.
Few mentions of the Marston Trophy or the Curley Trophy can be found after the Marathons of the 1970’s. And little has been found regarding an official name of a championship trophy in the 1980’s. In the 1990’s and 2000’s, it appears the trophies given to the 1 st place finishers were simply named the AuSable River Canoe Marathon Championship Trophy.
To this day, both champions of the Marathon are presented an AuSable River Canoe Marathon Championship Trophy for their personal trophy case or mantle. However, I thought that something more was needed to recognize the accomplishment of the champions. The AuSable Marathon is one of the toughest and premier canoe races in the world, and it certainly deserves a recognizable perpetual trophy to commemorate it. So what began as a conversation around a bon fire after a canoe race in Mio, became my goal for the 75th anniversary of the Marathon; to build a perpetual trophy for the Marathon. One that would pay tribute to the history of the race, as well as display the names of all of the champions. I also wanted space for the names of 25 more years’ worth of champions to be added.
After getting some ideas down on paper, I reached out to Rich Castle, the Consumers Energy Community Affairs Manager for Northeast Michigan and a big race fan, for his feedback. He was quite enthusiastic about the project and responded with a few suggestions. In the meantime, I had been creating some trophy designs using CAD. As the designs started to take shape, I knew it would be the perfect time to create a trophy for the Mixed and Women’s Divisions too, to celebrate their well-earned achievements. The Mixed and Women’s Divisions are two of the oldest bonus divisions for the Marathon; the first Mixed team raced in 1968, and the first Women’s team raced in 1973. And the battles for the Mixed and Women’s Division championships are some of the best “races within the race” each year.
I approached one of my best friends, Ryan Aldrich, to see if I could use his woodshop to build the trophies. Ryan, who has been a finish line volunteer in past years, kindly agreed and also offered to help me build them. In December 2022, we went to work gathering the materials and tools we’d need for the task ahead. We hit several snags and obstacles along the way, having to completely
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start over on a few trophy pieces. One of the biggest issues we encountered was trying to locate someone who could fabricate a trophy topper for the Championship Trophy. We wanted something unique, but were having trouble coming up with an idea that could be fabricated, and fabricated without an enormous expense. I reached out to Rich Castle again to see if he knew anyone who could help. Luckily, Rich was able to coordinate with Dave Theisen of Beal City. Dave designed and fabricated a copper racing canoe statuette and generously donated it for the trophy.
Ryan and I put the finishing touches on the trophies on Monday of Race Week, just days before the start of the 75th AuSable River Canoe Marathon. We had the trophies on display at the Dash For Cash on Tuesday of Race Week, and they received lots of praise and positive feedback. It was a joy on race day, seeing dozens of fans take photos with the trophies while they were on display at the Finish Line. And of course feelings of accomplishment seeing the Marathon Champions, Mixed Division Champions, and Women’s Division Champions proudly hoist the new trophies for the first time.
Without further ado, a bit about each of the 75th Anniversary Trophies.
The Lynne Witte Cup is won by the fastest Women’s Division team. The trophy is named after the most successful female paddler in Marathon history, Lynne Witte. Lynne entered her first Marathon in 1980 and hasn’t missed a race since. She has won the Women’s Division a record 11 times, in 1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008; almost double the wins of any other female paddler. Lynne has the most finishes of any paddler, with 41 and counting. She has the most top ten finishes of any female paddler with five, and is tied for the best finish for a female paddler (4th place). She is the first fe
male paddler to earn the Iron, Steel, and Titanium Paddler Awards. Lynne was inducted into the Marathon Hall of Fame in 2014, and has been a mentor and role model for a countless number of people.
The Lynne Witte Cup is made from coastal redwood, ornate with pink carbon-fiber-patterned columns, and topped with a silver Bellissimo cup.
The Wagner Memorial Trophy is won by the fastest Mixed Division team. The trophy is named after Marilyn and Jerry Wagner of Oscoda. Prior to 1968, women were not permitted to compete in the race. That year, Marilyn became the first female paddler to finish the Marathon. She finished the 1968 Marathon in 7th place of the Amateur Division, racing with her husband Jerry in their famous yellow “U.F.O.” Sawyer Cruiser. For this groundbreaking triumph, she was inducted into the inaugural Marathon Hall of Fame class in 2006. Jerry Wagner was a former Marathon champion, having won in 1957 and again in 1959 after having heart surgery. He wrote the short story “Great Race
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On A Great River” about their experience. They paved the way for a whole era in the Marathon’s history.
The Wagner Memorial Trophy is made from Michigan red oak, adorned with blue carbon-fiber-patterned columns, and topped with a silver Italia cup.
Ralph W. Sawyer Championship Trophy
The Ralph W. Sawyer Championship Trophy is presented to the 1st place Marathon team. It is named after Marathon legend and 2009 Hall of Fame inductee, Ralph W. Sawyer. Ralph was one of the first superstars of the AuSable Marathon and of the sport of marathon canoe racing. A famed canoe and paddle builder, there was a time when every canoe used in the Marathon was a canoe he had designed. Ralph is an eight-time Marathon champion, having won the race in 1956, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1968 with a record five different partners in that span. To illustrate his dominance in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it would take until 1992 for a paddler to surpass his win total, and until 1997 for a paddler to pass him on the Career Points list. Ralph is one of two teenage paddlers to win the Marathon, and he had several undefeated seasons in the Michigan Canoe Racing Association circuit.
The Ralph W. Sawyer Championship Trophy is made from Iosco County sugar maple, decorated with black carbon-fiber-patterned columns, and topped with a custom-built copper racing canoe statuette. The copper canoe was fabricated by Dave Theisen of Beal City, Michigan. The design of the base of the trophy was made to loosely resemble the shape of the Canoer’s Memorial Monument.
[Right photo]: Dave Theisen of Beal City posing with the copper canoe statuette he fabricated
CHECKPOINTS YEAR TIME TEA M (AGES)
Burton’s Landing 2017 0:44:14 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
Stephan Bridge 2017 0:33:15 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
Wakeley Bridge 2017 0:29:21 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
McMasters Bridge 2017 0:57:21 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 1:04:42 Richard Lauth (48) & Mary Schlimmer (30)
Camp Ten Bridge 2017 1:04:35 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
Mio Dam 2017 0:25:02 Andrew Triebold (41) & Mary Schlimmer (26)
McKinley Bridge 2021 1:46:48 Richard Lauth (48) & Mary Schlimmer (30)
4001 Bridge 2021 0:52:31 Richard Lauth (48) & Mary Schlimmer (30)
Alcona Dam 2009 0:37:36 Bruce Barton (52) & Connie Cannon (48)
Loud Dam 1988 1:51:21 Jim Myers (26) & Lynne Witte (34)
Five Channels Dam 2015 0:25:17 Mike Davis (24) & Rebecca Davis (25)
Cooke Dam 2009 1:00:33 Holly Reynolds (29) & Jeff Rankinen (45)
Foote Dame 2009 1:12:07 Holly Reynolds (29) & Jeff Rankinen (45)
Oscoda (Finish) 2009 1:18:21 Bruce Barton (52) & Connie Cannon (48)
CHECKPOINTS YEAR TIME TEA M (AGES)
Burton’s Landing 2017 0:44:14 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Stephan Bridge 2017 1:17:29 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Wakeley Bridge 2017 1:46:50 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
McMasters Bridge 2017 2:44:11 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Parmalee Bridge 2017 3:49:01 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Camp Ten Bridge 2017 4:53:36 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Mio Dam 2017 5:18:38 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
McKinley Bridge 2017 7:06:39 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
4001 Bridge 2017 7:59:41 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Alcona Dam 2017 8:37:46 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Loud Dam 2017 10:31:07 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Five Channels Dam 2017 10:57:26 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Cooke Dam 2017 12:00:33 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Foote Dam 2017 13:14:35 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
Oscoda (Finish Line)2017 14:37:45 Mary Schlimmer (26) & Andrew Triebold (41)
2nd Half 2009 7:26:08 Connie Cannon (48) & Bruce Barton (52)
Safe & Secure
- Well Lit and Surveillance Cameras Conveniently Located - Just West of Grayling
Checkpoints Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2016 0:46:46
Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
Stephan Bridge 2016 0:35:09 Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
Wakeley Bridge 2016 0:30:51 Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
McMasters Bridge 2021 0:59:39 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 1:04:31 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 1:07:01 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Mio Dam 1997 0:25:53 Blaise St. Pierre (57) & Serge Rouleau (52)
McKinley Bridge 2021 1:48:21 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
4001 Bridge 1999 0:53:08 Robert Bradford (56) & Al Widing, Sr. (74)
Alcona Dam 2000 0:38:36 Blaise St. Pierre (60) & Pierre LaPointe (58)
Loud Dam 2021 1:54:41 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Five Channels Dam 2015 0:26:01 Clark Kent (55) & Mike Bradford (50)
Cooke Dam 2013 1:03:50 Tom Trudgeon (54) & Doug Gillin (54)
Foote Dam 2009 1:14:33 Michael Garon (51) & Doug Gillin (50)
Oscoda (Finish) 2021 1:22:03 Paul Olney (58) & Mike Fries (68)
Checkpoints Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2016 0:46:46
Stephan Bridge 2016 1:21:55
Wakeley Bridge 2016 1:52:46
Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
McMasters Bridge 2016 2:54:18 Russ Reker (52) & Mike Bradford (51)
Parmalee Bridge 2021 4:00:27
Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Camp Ten Bridge 2021 5:07:28 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Mio Dam 2021 5:33:58 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
McKinley Bridge 2021 7:22:19 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
4001 Bridge 2021 8:16:11
Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Alcona Dam 2021 8:55:41 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Loud Dam 2021 10:50:22 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Five Channels Dam 2021 11:16:33
Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Cooke Dam 2021 12:21:56 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Foote Dam 2021 13:38:28 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
Oscoda 2021 15:00:42 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
2nd Half 2021 7:38:23 Eric Batway (58) & Mike Bradford (56)
and HeadwaterS
Your UP NORTH adventure starts here. graylingmichigan.org | visitor@grayling-mi.com | 800-937-8837 Home of the AuSable and Manistee Rivers
Checkpoints Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 2018 0:41:12 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Stephan Bridge 2018 1:12:50 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Wakeley Bridge 2018 1:41:54 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
McMasters Bridge 2018 2:38:47 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Parmalee Bridge 1999 3:42:22 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Camp Ten Bridge 1999 4:47:10 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Mio Dam 1999 5:11:14 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
McKinley 2018 6:53:45 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
4001 Bridge 2018 7:45:01 Andrew Triebold (42) & Steve Lajoie (42)
Alcona Dam 1999 8:22:12 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Loud Dam 1999 10:11:47 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Five Channels Dam 1999 10:35:44 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Cooke Dam 1999 11:36:10 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Foote Dam 1999 12:47:57 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Oscoda 1999 14:08:18 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
2nd Half 1999 7:13:08 Jeff Kolka (40) & Serge Corbin (42)
Paddler Consec. Years
Michael Garon 24 1999-2023*
Lynne Witte 18 1995-2012
Nate Winkler 18 2003-2021*
Andrew Triebold 17 2003-2019
Nick Walton 17 2005-2022*
Jason Hatfield 17 2006-2023*
Al Widing, Sr. 16 1988-2003
Serge Corbin 16 1990-2005
Rick Joy 16 1991-2006
Fred Mills 16 2007-2023*
Michael Schlimmer 15 2008-2023*
Lynne Witte 14 1980-1993^
Ken Kolonich 14 1988-2001
Steve Kolonich 14 1988-2001
Rodney Matthews 14 2004-2017
Jon Webb 14 2009-2023*
Matt Gabriel, Jr. 14 2009-2023*
Jack Kolka 13 1964-1977+
Jeff Kolka 13 1993-2005
Jon Thompson 13 2004-2016
Bill Torongo 13 2010-2023*
Jeff DeFeo 13 2010-2023*
Mike Davis 13 2010-2023*
Pete Mead 13 2010-2023*
Colin Hunter 12 1996-2007^
Daniel Medina 12 2011-2023*
Brett Stockton 11 1978-1988
Ben Schlimmer 11 2008-2018
Richard Lauth 11 2012-2023*
Bernie Fowler 10 1947-1956
Ralph Sawyer 10 1953-1962
Tony Short 10 1978-1987
Rick Joy 10 1980-1989
Brian Royce 10 2001-2010
Joe Shaw 10 2001-2010
Ray Bauer 10 2001-2010
Ted Smutek 10 2004-2013
Ellen Thompson 10 2006-2015
Chris Hewitt 10 2009-2018
Roger Henry 10 2009-2018
Rebecca Davis 10 2010-2019
Adam Gelinas 10 2013-2023*
Wesley Dean 10 2013-2023*
Weston Willoughby 10 2013-2023*
^ Includes Four (4) Amateur Division Finishes + No Race In 1969 * No Race In 2020
www.graylingpromotional.org
Junque in the Trunk Grayling Tractor Supply Parking Lot A Community Parking Lot Garage Sale From the Trunks of Vehicles Saturday, August 31, 2024
Fall Arts & Crafts Show
Grayling Elementary School Handcrafted Arts & Crafts Vendors Saturday, October 5, 2024
Festival of Trees Grayling Mini-Mall
Christmas Trees & Baskets
Decorated by Area Businesses are on Display and Raffled Off Friday, November 15, Thru Saturday, November 30, 2024
at Chamber of Commerce, www.graylingpromotional.org, or
Enjoy Our Community!
Checkpoints
Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing1980 0:42:10 Jerry Kellogg (36) & Brett Stockton (17)
Stephan Bridge 2013 1:15:44 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Wakeley Bridge 2013 1:45:33 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
McMasters Bridge2013 2:45:13 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Parmalee Bridge 2013 3:53:14 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Camp Ten Bridge2014 5:00:05 Nick Walton (41) & Christophe Proulx (19)
Mio Dam 2014 5:25:40 Nick Walton (41) & Christophe Proulx (19)
McKinley 2013 7:14:16 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
4001 Bridge 2013 8:05:02 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Alcona Dam 2013 8:42:13 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Loud Dam 2013 10:32:42 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Five Chan. Dam 2013 10:56:54 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Cooke Dam 2013 11:57:57 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Foote Dam 2013 13:10:50 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Oscoda 2013 14:32:32 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
2nd Half 2013 7:18:16 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
Year Time Team (Ages)
1980 0:42:10 Jerry Kellogg (36) & Brett Stockton (17)
2013 0:32:28 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
1982 0:29:36 John Baker (40) & Tony Short (18)
2013 0:59:40 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
2010 1:04:55 Austin Schwinn (19) & Matt Streib (46)
2014 1:06:32 Nick Walton (41) & Christophe Proulx (19)
1991 0:24:55 Ken Kolonich (45) & Steve Kolonich (19)
2013 1:47:03 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
2013 0:50:46 Nick Walton (40) & Christophe Proulx (18)
1991 0:37:02 Ken Kolonich (45) & Steve Kolonich (19)
1982 1:48:04 John Baker (40) & Tony Short (18)
1991 0:24:01 Ken Kolonich (45) & Steve Kolonich (19)
2014 1:00:07 Nick Walton (41) & Christophe Proulx (19)
2014 1:11:28 Nick Walton (41) & Christophe Proulx (19)
1988 1:20:24 Ken Kolonich (42) & Steve Kolonich (16)
marathon supporters.
Checkpoints
Year Time Team (Ages)
Burton’s Landing 1993 0:41:28 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
Stephan Bridge 1993 1:12:56 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
Wakeley Bridge 1993 1:41:29 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
McMasters Bridge 1993 2:38:36 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
Parmalee Bridge 1993 3:41:45 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
Camp Ten Bridge 1994 4:46:06 Jeff Kolka (35) & Bill Torongo (32)
Mio Dam 1994 5:10:39 Jeff Kolka (35) & Bill Torongo (32)
McKinley 2021 6:53:05 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
4001 Bridge 2021 7:43:10 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Alcona Dam 2021 8:20:09 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Loud Dam 2021 10:08:57 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Five Channels Dam 2021 10:34:25 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Cooke Dam 2021 11:36:24 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Foote Dam 2021 12:48:50 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
Oscoda 2021 14:07:37 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
2nd Half
1994 7:11:33 Jeff Kolka (35) & Bill Torongo (32)
Year Time Team (Ages)
1993 0:41:28 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
1993 0:31:28 Jeff Kolka (34) & Bill Torongo (31)
1993 0:28:21 Tony Short (29) & Scott McKenzie (35)
1994 0:56:58 Rick Joy (35) & John Hollands (41)
1975 1:02:35 Jerry Kellogg (31) & Jeff Kellogg (30)
1994 1:03:26 Rick Joy (35) & John Hollands (41)
1975 0:22:05 Jerry Kellogg (31) & Jeff Kellogg (30)
2021 1:41:11 Wesley Dean (26) & Weston Willoughby (30)
2021 0:49:54 Pete Mead (40) & Carson Burmeister (24)
1995 0:36:01 Jeff Kolka (36) & Bruce Barton (38)
1983 1:44:37 Butch Stockton (34) & Brett Stockton (20)
1981 0:23:41 John Baker (39) & Ken Brown (23)
1986 0:57:28 Butch Stockton (37) & Brett Stockton (23)
2009 1:10:31 Mo Harwood, Jr. (30) & Matthew Ashton (30)
2009 1:16:14 Mo Harwood, Jr. (30) & Matthew Ashton (30)
