Please note there are no refunds, no transfers or rollovers.

Preliminary Event Schedule (subject to change)

Friday, July 23 Blazing Paddles Check-In, Registration, Boat Drop Off at Cleveland Rowing Foundation. (1003 British St., Cleveland, OH 44113) (get map)

4:00 - 8:00 pm Early registration, packet pickup, & boat drop off

1. PLEASE register BEFORE July 23. While we will be taking same-day registrations, given COVID protocols, we want to minimize that motion as much as possible so we can focus on a smooth check-in for pre-registered participants.
2. If you are local to Cleveland, please pick-up your registration from 4 pm - 9 pm Friday. This will reduce our volunteer workload and check-in time for our out-of-town participants Saturday morning.
3. At check-in you will receive your t-shirt, wrist-band, bib number, and your board/kayak will be numbered.
4. PLEASE consider pre-staging your board/kayak Friday afternoon in our secure corral on Cleveland Rowing Foundation's (CRF) property. There will be a guard stationed and a Blazing Paddles representative on-site until the CRF and Merwin's gates are locked. This will GREATLY help our efforts to accommodate our out-of-town guests checking-in Saturday morning.
5. On event day, your numbered wrist-band and vessel number must match in order for the board/kayak to be 1) moved to the river and 2) loaded onto a car after Blazing Paddles.
6. There is NO on-site parking at Cleveland Rowing Foundation or Merwin's Wharf. We are working to secured free parking for Blazing Paddles participants and volunteers at a nearby lot. PLEASE allow yourself time to park and walk the 1,000 yards to the Cleveland Rowing Foundation site. 
7. There is a MANDATORY safety briefing at 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning at Cleveland Rowing Foundation.
8. There is seating along the river at Merwin's Wharf, allowing you to relax after you check-in Saturday morning.

11:00 pm = Merwin's Wharf gates close

Saturday, July 24 (this section will be continuously updated)

5:30 - 7:30 am On-site registration, packet pickup & boat drop off. Please note there is NO on-site parking. Please plan accordingly. We will provide an update on parking options on July 21.

MANDATORY BLAZING PADDLES MEETING: 7:45 am - Course details, safety procedures and participant questions.

8:00 am Blazing Paddles participants can begin entering the Cuyahoga River

8:15 am Deadline to claim rental boats at Merwin's Wharf

• Racers will put in at Cleveland Metroparks Merwin’s Wharf dock. Racers can head upriver up to Columbus Rd. Bridge for warm-ups.

• Racers and recreational paddlers should respect the buffer zone between the two events. All racers and recreational paddlers need to be “river right”, especially on the downstream leg of the paddle. Racers also need to pass river right of the buoys located at:

  • 2 mile race buoy at Collision Bend, near the Celebrezze fireboat

  • The buoy at Marathon Bend

  • The turn buoy just past Jefferson Ave.

  • The turn buoy at the head of navigation/Cleveland -Cliffs.

Blazing Paddles Races start (from Merwin's Wharf start line. NOTE: there will be staggered flights for each kayak, canoe, and paddleboard class).

• 8:20 a.m. - Start for high performance kayak, fast sea kayak, solo canoe (includes outrigger), tandem kayak, and tandem canoe (includes OC-2)

  8:25 a.m. - Start for SUP 14' and under, kayak, and sea kayak.

9:30 am Put-in closes (last call for late arrivals wanting to participate in Blazing Paddles after the field has departed).

11:00 am Presentation of race awards at the "after paddle" in the grassy area upriver of Merwin's Wharf. Note: we may present awards for the 2 mile & 5.4 mile paddle earlier) to break the race awards ceremony up. 

Breaking News: Cleveland Metroparks WILL be selling beer from their walk-up window at Merwin's Wharf.

1:15 pm - Deadline for Blazing Paddles race participants to take out at Merwin's Wharf docks. Coast Guard maintained safety zone opens up.

Note: All paddlers are required to have a PFD. All SUPs must wear a leash. Also, use sunscreen and bring WATER! Blazing Paddles is a rain or shine event and no-refunds will be given.

SAFETY NOTICE

The U.S. Coast Guard will be maintaining a safety zone upriver from the Center Street Swing Bridge to the head of navigation at Cleveland-Cliffs. Upriver paddlers should be mindful to stay right of center when approaching blind turns to minimize the chance of coming into contact with a downriver paddler.