Consumers Energy 78th AuSable River Canoe Marathon
Spectator Guide
Legends Never Sleep
Sponsored By Grayling Insurance & Deer Camp Coffee Roasting Company • Published By The Crawford County Avalanche • July, 2026
Spectators keep AuSable Marathon traditions alive
By Stacy Smale It was 1947 when Stan Hall knew he would race in the AuSable River Canoe Marathon. “The very first race – I watched that,” Hall said. “Watching all these people crossing the finish line, I thought, ‘Man, that’s the greatest (continued on page 11)
AuSable River Canoe Marathon Prizes..............................2 Paddling Team Profiles (Received Through July 2).3-10 Division Bonuses.....................................................................10 Triple Crown Standings......................................................... 13 Marathon Hall of Fame 2026 Inductees...........................14 ARCM Course Map/Road Closures..............................16-17 2026 ARCM Radio Network.................................................23 Thank You Marathon Sponsors...................................24-26 AuSable Marathon Scholarship Winners....................... 28 AuSable River Challenge (ARC) 120................................ 29 AuSable River Festival Schedule Of Events...................30 Da$h For Ca$h/C-1 Express/Special Olympics............32
The Paddling For Josh Award
Presented by the Solstice Foundation By Stephen Leppard, Brandon Gerardy and Lynne Witte The “Paddling For Josh Award” was established in 2025 to recognize an AuSable River Canoe Marathon paddler or race team that exemplifies the values of community in marathon canoe racing. Paddling For Josh originally began through the efforts of the Solstice Foundation, a group of physical therapists including Iron Paddlers Brandon Gerardy and Stephen Leppard. Over the past decade, marathon fans have seen Brandon and Steve race all 10 of their AuSable River Canoe
Marathons with “Paddling For Josh” displayed proudly on their boat. In 2024, they became an official “Iron Team,” completing all 10 marathons together. Throughout those 10 races, Brandon and Steve used the AuSable River Canoe Marathon as a fundraising platform to help make college a reality for Josh, a young man with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. What began as an effort to support one individual grew into something larger, a reminder that marathon racing can be about more than just competition. It can also be about using the platform of the Marathon (continued on page 20)
Steve Leppard, Josh and Brandon Gerardy