Both courses will start and end at the Town dock.  5K paddlers will proceed west on the Occoquan River to a right shoulder buoy turn less than 1/4 mile from the start and then travel east on the Occoquan River until they reach the I-95 bridge, where they will do a left shoulder turn around a marked pier of the bridge and then proceed west back toward the town.  They will continue all the way to the first buoy turn they made and this time make a right shoulder turn.  After the turn they will proceed east again and finish at a line at the Town dock.

10K paddlers will follow the same route, but instead of turning around at the I-95 bridge, they will continue along the north shore of the river to a buoy placed in Belmont Bay, where they will execute a left shoulder turn and continue back along the route described above.