World’s Toughest Spectator Race!

The AuSable River Canoe Marathon is a nonstop event that begins on Saturday at 9:00pm in Grayling, MI and ends 14 to 19 hours later, 120 miles away in Oscoda, MI. Many die-hard fans, along with first timers, will follow the entire race, cheering the teams on throughout the night. Check out this article from Men’s Journal about just how tough it is to follow the race.

Not up for staying up all night? No problem! There are still many great ways for you to experience the excitement of the race in person or virtually.

If you do decide to follow all or part of the race in person, please make sure you review the Spectator Information section. There you will find details about road/bridge closures and other information that will help you with the challenge of following the race.

The Start

The start of the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, is a must see event in northern Michigan. The race starts at 9:00pm in Grayling with teams sprinting with their canoes 4 blocks to the river. The scene as the teams put their canoes into the river is chaotic, exciting and fast. The prime viewing area is the hill across from the start line located on the I-75 Business Loop. The location is easy to identify, because fans start staking out their locations on the hill hours in advance of the race. Get there early to enjoy the pre-race program that includes entertainment and paddler introductions.

Curious about the racing canoes and how the paddlers outfit them for the race? Head over to Peninsular Avenue between Michigan Ave and Ionia St. and you can mingle with the paddlers and support (feeder) teams with their canoes as they line up for the start.

While in Grayling, check out the AuSable River Festival that has a variety of events including live music, food trucks and more. The AuSable River Festival begins the weekend before the Marathon.

Crawford County Bridges

Stephan, Wakeley, and McMasters are the first three bridges of the race. To provide the race experience to more fans and ease parking congestion, the Marathon has partnered with Crawford County Transportation to provide shuttle service to these locations. Information about the shuttle service can be found in the Spectator Guide.

If you choose to drive to the bridges on your own, keep in mind that parking is limited. Here are the point to point driving times and expected arrival times for leaders.

Grayling to Stephan Bridge – 20 minutes. Leaders arrival 10:10pm – 10:20pm
Stephan Bridge to Wakaley Bridge – 10 minutes. Leaders arrival 10:35 – 10;45
Wakeley Bridge to McMasters Bridge – 20 minutes. Leaders arrival 11:35pm – 11:50pm

The Dams

During the Marathon, the teams cross six hydroelectric dams. Each is a great place to view the race as the teams are required to portage each dam. Below is a list of the dams, key information and the approximate arrival time for leaders.  No alcohol is allowed on the dams. Consumers Energy will have security personnel in place at each dam on race night. Please follow their instructions at all times.

• Mio Dam – 2:05am. This is the only dam portage that occurs at night. Typically this portage has larger crowds because it is usually the last location to watch all the teams pass and make it to the next stop to view the leaders. If you want to avoid the chaos (and the cooler temperatures) walk up the hill and watch the action from about ½ way up.
• Alcona Dam – 5:25am. The sunrise views during the Alcona Dam portage make it a fan favorite stop. There is a nice platform on the east side of the dam, but the best spot to watch is where the teams exit Alcona Pond and begin their portage.
• Loud Dam – 7:05am – Access to Loud Dam is limited to feeder teams and race officials. No public access.
• Five Channels Dam – 7:30am. Great views of the teams as they come across the open water. Good viewing locations are available from the canoe portage and the old M-65 bridge. Both the top and bottom of the dam are great spots to cheer on the teams.
• Cooke Dam – 8:30am. At this point there will be a significant difference between the leaders and other teams. If you want to catch the leaders crossing Foote Dam, leave about 45 minutes after the leaders go by. Your drive to Foote Dam from this point is 20 minutes. If you decide to stay at Cooke Dam a bit longer, your drive to the Finish Line is 30 minutes.
• Foote Dam – 9:40am. Consider a stop at Foote Dam to watch the leader teams. A good location to watch the action is from the Foote Tailwater Recreation site located on the far side of the dam off of Rea Rd.

The drive from Foote Dam to Oscoda is about 10 minutes, so keep track of the time if you want to watch the winners cross the finish line.

The Finish

Seeing the finish of the Marathon in Oscoda, MI is a great experience. Here you can cheer the paddlers as they end their 120 mile journey near the mouth of Lake Huron. Parking can be found on the east side of the river, across the street (US-23) from the AuSable Inn. Good views of the teams can be seen up by Gilbert’s Drug Store (212 State Street, Oscoda), from the top of the Mill Street Bridge or at Finish Line Park. Make sure you catch the paddlers doing their traditional splash at the end of the race.

Approx. Leader’s Arrival Times

Race Cutoff Times

The chart below shows the cutoff time for each checkpoint, as per the race rules.  Teams arriving to a checkpoint after the cutoff time are disqualified.

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