Great Iowa River Race 2019
June 8 @ Sturgis Ferry Park, Iowa City, IA, United States
GENERAL INFO
UPDATE (05/29/2019): Sadly, the Great Iowa River Race 2019 has been cancelled due to flooding on the Iowa River. All who have already registered will be refunded. Look for us next year! We'll celebrate the 10th Great Iowa River Race at that time!
Canoers, kayakers, and paddleboarders are welcome to compete in this fun 9.25-mile race on the Iowa River! Community members looking mainly for a fun competition can enter into the recreational event, while serious racers (you know who you are) can enter into the competitive event. Many more helpful tips on registration are explained in the registration pages.
The race is $30/person. The registration window is open from March 1 to June 4 OR once we hit 150 racers, which ever comes first. There is no day-of-registration. Anyone not registered after June 4 will be denied entry. To be guaranteed a race t-shirt, racers must be registered by May 27 at 8:00 a.m. After that date, t-shirts will be available while supplies last.
Along with an athletic-style t-shirt (with the logo shown above) the registration fee covers lunch following the race. All profits help to expand the Johnson County Conservation's environmental education program. For example, all profits from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 races allowed our program to purchase ten kayaks, a kayak trailer, and paddles. These are used in free educational programming for thousands of students in the community, including many who have never had the opportunity to paddle in a kayak or canoe.
Shuttles will be provided to help individual racers get between the start and finish. The first shuttle will leave from Hills Campground around 7:20 a.m. See more information about the shuttles on the schedule tab.
Rental canoes and kayaks, are available for $10. The supply is limited, so reserve your rental early by emailing fowen@co.johnson.ia.us (we highly recommend checking rental availability before registration!) Include in the email your name, address, phone number, and number/type of rentals. Payments must be made in cash upon check-in, no exceptions.
Racing with kids? Contact fowen@co.johnson.ia.us for a youth coupon for those 14 years old and under. We recommend that all youth share a watercraft with an adult, for example, a tandem kayak or canoe, especially for youth 12 and under. We recommend all personal kayaks measure over 9 ft long; shorter kayaks are not appropriate for river journeys of this distance.
The above tabs with schedule, course, and directions give more logistical details.
Weather Policy: In the case of thunderstorms the day of the race, a weather delay of 30 minutes to one hour may be set in place. We will not send racers onto the water if lightning persists. In the case of flooding or high and unsafe water levels, the race will be evaluated a week in advance, with the possibility of cancellation. In the event of cancellation, we cannot offer refunds. T-shirts will still be given out to all who registered in time to secure one. Following that deadline, t-shirts will be available while supplies last.
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