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Contact: Tim Zigila
Weyerhaeuser AuSable Canoe Marathon
Phone 989.348.2921
Fax 989.348.7315
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www.ausablecanoemarathon.org
aricm@i2k.com
P.O. Box 911
Grayling, MI
49738
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Weyerhaeuser AuSable
River Canoe Marathon
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Press Release
New Champions at Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon
July
30, 2006-Oscoda MI-
In an amazing turn of events, the team that
some had seen as a dark horse, Allen Limburg of Wausau WI and Jim Harwood of
Grayling Michigan, are the winners of
the 2006 Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon Champs with a winning time
of 14:33:50 (fourteen hours, thirty three minutes, and fifty seconds). Limburg and
Harwood took over the lead at the Parmalee Bridge timing
point and never relinquished. The team of Limburg and
Harwood were in fourth position through the first three timing locations and
made a move to second place through McMaster’s Bridge. After McMaster’s Bridge,
Limburg and Harwood decided to make a
run with the lead and the Halstead brothers followed close behind. It was not
until the first of six portages of the night did Limburg and
Harwood begin to build a lead. Coming across the Mio Pond they started to build
a lead Limburg and
Harwood would never relinquish. In an interview at the finish line both Harwood
and Limburg said
“they were both surprised that the team of the Halstead brothers was the only
team that went with them as they broke away from the pack”. Eventually the lead
would become four minutes and at the finish line the margin of victory was
fifteen minutes. The Weyerhaeuser Au Sable River Canoe Marathon is widely
recognized as the “Longest, Richest and Toughest Canoe Race in North
America”. Competitors paddle an average of fifty paddle
strokes per minute to finish this grueling race. Each year the race attracts
paddlers from across North America, the
2006 event featured twenty seven first time paddlers.
Competing in their fifth
marathon and coming in second, the brothers Ryan and Rodney Halstead of
Grayling finished with a time of 14:48:25
(fourteen hours, forty eight minutes and twenty five seconds).
Last years runners up, Andrew
Triebold of Spring Arbor MI and Matt Rimer of Grayling MI finished third with a
time of 14:50:21
(fourteen hours, fifty minutes and twenty one seconds).
Fourth place went to Mo Harwood
of Grayling and partner Steve Lajoie of Mirabel, Quebec
finishing with a time of 14:56:16
(fourteen hours, fifty six minutes and sixteen seconds).
Rounding out the top five are
John Sullivan and Ted Kolka both from Grayling 15:03:26
(fifteen hours, three minutes and twenty six seconds).
Finishing in the top ten were:
Sixth place: Tim Valko of
Pinckney MI and Guy Rousseau of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada
finishing with a time of 15:07:00
(fifteen hours, seven minutes and no seconds).
Seventh place: Jeff Rankinen of
Jersey Shore Pennsylvania and
Todd Roadman of Bedford, Pennsylvania
finishing with a time of 15:07:04
(fifteen hours, seven minutes and four seconds).
Eighth place: Tad Hill of Livonia, MI
and Efrain Cruz of Belize City, Belize
finishing with a time of 15:09:52
(fifteen hours, nine minutes and fifty two seconds).
Ninth place: Josh Taylor of
Grayling, MI and Jason Hall of Crystal, MI finishing with a time of 15:09:57 (fifteen hours, nine minutes
and fifty seven seconds).
Tenth place: Pete Mead of Traverse
City, MI and
Mitch McMillan of Clare, MI
finishing with a time of 15:11:04
(fifteen hours, eleven minutes and four seconds).
The Weyerhaeuser Au Sable River
Canoe Marathon race course runs from Grayling, MI to Oscoda, MI 120
Miles along the Au Sable River.
