Personal Safety
All racers must wear personal flotation devices (PFDs) while on the water for the entire duration of the event. See our mandatory gear list below for more information on PFD requirements.
The Red River Paddle Challenge will be subject to and will follow any applicable health orders as they pertain to COVID-19. Please read our COVID-19 Policy page for more details.
All racers will be issued a safety card with contact information for race organizers. Racers must contact organizers if they depart the event, stop racing for more than 30 minutes or if they face situations that may impact all racer’s safety. Racers should call 911 in the case of a life or death situation; call or text organizers in any other situation.
Racing Categories
All participants choose to paddle the entire distance either solo or tandem using the paddle-powered boat type of their choice. Categories are ranked by boat type as well as men’s solo, women’s solo, and mixed tandem.
Registration
Pre-registration is required. Registration closes at the end of the day on September 14, 2024. You will not be able to register the week of the race. Registration is done online through Webscorer.
All racers must complete race waivers before being allowed to take part in the event. NO ONE races without a waiver. If a waiver has not been completed in advance, volunteers will facilitate this for all racers as they arrive.
Race Day Check-In
All racers are responsible to check-in on Saturday, September 21, at the boat launch in St Vital Park. Check-in begins at 6:15 a.m. and closes at 8:00 a.m. All boats must be staged (see below) by 8:15 a.m. so please allow plenty of time.
Click map to enlarge
Just like previous years, we will be using a drive-thru check-in to minimize contact and hopefully speed things up as well. If there’s a lineup of cars when you arrive, please be courteous and allow vehicles that are towing motorboats access to the boat launch.
As you enter the St Vital Park boat launch area, watch for our volunteers by the registration tent (see map). A volunteer will approach your vehicle and ask for the names of each participant in your vehicle. Put your vehicle in park and wait for the volunteer to return with your racer package. Each racer will receive a swag bag containing their racer bib, safety card, RRPC t-shirt, as well as some other goodies from our event sponsors.
Boat Staging
Once all the participants in your vehicle have received their racer packages, you may proceed to the temporary parking and unloading area. Here you will unload your boat and all of your paddling gear that you will be bringing with you for the day. Carry your boat and your gear to the Boat Staging Area (see map above).
Look for a sign indicating your boat type: Canoe, Kayak, or SUP. Line up by the sign with your boat type. A volunteer will direct you to the appropriate staging spot for your boat.
Please note that rowing boats will be staged on the grass closest to the boat launch (see diagram above) as they will be starting 5 minutes before the main group.
Once you have your boat and gear setup, a race official will check to confirm that you are in possession of the mandatory equipment (see list below). Please have these items organized and ready to show race officials. If you do not display these items, you will not be permitted to participate in the race.
Once your boat and gear have been approved, a specialized strip of tape will be placed on your boat to indicate that your boat has been inspected. You may now leave the boat staging area. This is a good time to move your vehicle from the temporary parking area. If you‘re planning to leave a vehicle parked at St Vital Park for the day, parking is available throughout the park along the sides of roads (watch for no parking zones) and also in the parking lots.
Note: For those dropping off a vehicle at the finish line area the morning of the race (Half Moon Drive In parking lot entrance), we highly recommend registering and staging your boat at St Vital Park prior to dropping off your vehicle in Lockport (registration opens at 6:15 a.m.). This helps to ensure that everyone can get through registration in a timely manner without delaying or missing the start of the race. Be sure to plan your timing accordingly as the approximate travel time back to the starting area in Winnipeg is 35-45 minutes.
Please see the finish line area map below and make note of the designated parking area for RRPC participants and spectators.
Mandatory Pre-Race Meeting
All participants are required to attend a pre-race meeting on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at the St Vital Park boat launch. Immediately following the pre-race meeting paddlers can launch their boats and wait on the water for the race to begin.
Start
There will be two starting heats:
- Rowing boats will begin first at the sound of the air horn at 8:55 a.m. SHARP.
- ALL other paddlers will begin at the sound of the air horn at 9:00 a.m. SHARP.
Racers who do not get under way by 9:30 a.m. are disqualified.
Finish
Click map to enlarge
Racers must stay river right within 50m of the shore as they approach the last 200m towards the finish line. Failure to do so could result in serious consequences. Floating buoys will be placed on the water to mark the final 200m stretch to the finish. All paddlers must paddle on the right-side of the buoys. Failure to do so will result in a time penalty for cutting the course short.
A safety boat will also be positioned on the water directing paddlers towards the right shore. This will be covered in the mandatory safety briefing prior to the race. Please refer to the official course maps to view the official course route.
Racers will cross an imaginary line on the river at the Half Moon Drive In boat ramp. Volunteers will clearly mark the finish line on the river bank. Racers will immediately exit the river via the small channel on the east side of the river directly after the finish line.
All finishers will receive a RRPC finisher medal upon completion of the race. Top three finishers in each class/category with more than five participants/teams will receive prizes or recognition at the awards ceremony. All participants are eligible to win prizes from our event sponsors.
Stoppage en Route
All racers must text or call Red River Paddle Challenge staff any time they take a break that is planned to last for 30 minutes or longer so that we can alert safety boats on the route. Racers who take a break that ends up going longer than 30 minutes should text organizers to let them know and provide them with your approximate location and what your next steps will be. Please keep in mind that this is a race with specific cutoff times that must be met at the checkpoints.
Mandatory Equipment
The following list of items are mandatory for all participants. All paddlers/teams must carry these items with them for the entire duration of the event. RRPC officials will be checking to ensure all paddlers have all the mandatory equipment during final boat staging on Saturday morning.
- One Transport Canada approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) per paddler*
- One whistle per boat
- One buoyant heaving line at least 15 m per boat (not required for stand up paddleboards (SUPs) and surfskis)
- One Bailer or manual bilge pump per boat (not required for SUPs)
- Board leashes for SUPs (must be worn at all times during the race)
- Cellular telephone in a waterproof container
- Cellular phone must have RaceOwlRacer app on it (or paddlers must use an inReach or Spot device connected to RaceOwlRacer); please see the RaceOwl section on our website for further details and instructions. Only one paddler per boat needs to be tracking with RaceOwlRacer.
- Copy of the safety card with organizers’ phone numbers (provided to you at check-in on Saturday)
- Two liters of water per person
*ALL racers must wear their personal flotation device (PFD) while on the water for the entire duration of the event. No exceptions! Failure to do so will result in disqualification and a ban from future Red River Paddle Challenge events.
Recommended Equipment
- Two-way communication device and/or GPS device
- Spare paddle
- Extra clothing in a waterproof bag
- Rain jacket and pants
- Food, energy gels and other sustenance
- First-aid kit
Checkpoints
There are three checkpoints during the race (refer to race map for locations):
Racers are required to check in at each checkpoint. As each racer approaches the checkpoint, they must shout out their bib number. Once the volunteer confirms the bib number and shouts it back to the racer, the racer(s) may continue on the route. It is the responsibility of the racer, not the volunteer, to ensure check in. Failure to check in at any checkpoint will result in penalty or disqualification.
Racers are welcome to stop at any checkpoint. Bottled water and snacks will be available for racers. Support teams can meet their teams as well, but they cannot assist racers in entering or exiting a checkpoint, i.e., they cannot pull the boat ashore or push it back into the water.
Cutoff Times
Racers must reach each checkpoint in a reasonable amount of time. Any paddler who arrives after the cutoff time will not be allowed to proceed to the next checkpoint. Cutoff times are determined by the race clock and will be adjusted accordingly if the race start is delayed. Assuming a 9:00 a.m. race start, checkpoint cutoff times are as follows:
- Checkpoint 1 Manitoba Canoe & Kayak Centre – 11:00 a.m. (2 hours from start time)
- Checkpoint 2 Royal Manitoba Yacht Club – 2:00 p.m. (5 hours from start time)
If you are concerned about not making a cutoff time at any checkpoint, please have your own transportation organized in advance. The RRPC will not provide shuttles from any checkpoints.
Overall course cutoff – Each racer has until 5:00 p.m. (8 hours from the official race start time) to complete the 44km course. A sweep boat will notify you if the allotted time has passed and you will be given the option to either jump in and get a ride to the next checkpoint/finish line, or they will request your bib and you may complete your paddle unofficially and unsupported (no medal, no official time).
Our boat safety support team has full authority to revoke the option to continue paddling past the cutoff times for both checkpoints and the overall course, and insist that a racer accept a ride to the next exit point if they deem the racer unfit to continue. This may be due to extreme fatigue, poor nutrition, injury, etc. If the racer does not appear coherent, appears confused, losing coordination/motor skills etc., our team has the authority to insist the racer stop paddling. Please accept this with grace. These cutoff times are for your safety.
Support Teams
Each participant is allowed unlimited race support at the checkpoints and other public-access sites on the river to exchange food, beverages and trash. Replacement paddlers or boats are forbidden. Racers may self-support using any checkpoint.
Support crews may not, in any way, assist with propulsion of the boat. They may only touch the boat when the boat is in contact with the shore and the racer has entered the checkpoint. Physical contact with support can only occur when the boat is grounded. No contact on the water is allowed. No support provided from a support boat is allowed. The organizers of the race will not provide any outside support during the race other than emergency medical assistance.
Transportation and Parking
Each participant must supply their own transportation to the start and pick up from the finish. While we encourage connecting with other paddlers to work out carpools and shuttles, Shuttle service is available for a fee.
Parking at the race start is limited. If you are planning to leave a vehicle parked at St Vital Park for the day, parking is available throughout the park along the sides of roads (watch for no parking zones) and in the parking lots. There is also a designated parking lot for RRPC participants and spectators at the finish line at the Half Moon Drive In. Please see the finish line area map above and make note of the designated parking area.
Age Restrictions
Participants must be at least 16 years of age to participate in the Red River Paddle Challenge. Participants under 18 years of age must have their parent or legal guardian sign a waiver form.
Drafting
Drafting is defined as paddling in the wave of another participant, either behind or alongside the backwash of a paddler, closer than 2 boat/board lengths for longer than 10 seconds. You may only draft (follow closely) participants that are in your class. Here are some examples:
- Solo paddlers can only draft other solo paddlers. For example, a solo kayak can draft another solo kayak or even a solo SUP. A solo SUP can draft another solo SUP or kayak. Solo paddlers cannot draft tandem boats, such as canoes and kayaks, or larger boats such as dragon boats or voyageur canoes.
- Tandem teams can only draft other tandem teams. For example, a tandem canoe can draft another tandem canoe or tandem kayak. Tandem teams cannot draft solo boats, or larger boats such as dragon boats or voyageur canoes.
Drafting is allowed between women and men and vice-versa. Drafting a motor boat or any other vessel that is not part of the Red River Paddle Challenge is prohibited for all paddlers. It is each paddler’s responsibility to ensure that they are drafting within their class. Time penalties for drafting out of class will be determined at the discretion of the race officials. Participants may be disqualified for an extended breach of the drafting rule as determined by the race officials.
Did Not Finish (DNF)
Racers may choose to stop at any point on the river and exit the event, but they are required to contact race officials when this occurs. Racers should text or call race officials if they are exiting. Paddlers who fail to notify race authorities after choosing to exit the race will be banned from future Red River Paddle Challenge events. Paddlers are required to arrange their own pickup/transport if stopping and exiting the event at any point along the course. Paddlers will be marked as DNF in the RaceOwlRacer app.
Paddlers in Distress
Any paddler witnessing another paddler in obvious distress is compelled to render all assistance possible until the situation is resolved, a safety boat arrives, or you are relieved by another team that can help. If you are unable to assist, phone or send a text message to the race officials, or phone 911. Failure to offer assistance in an emergency situation will result in a lifetime ban from future Red River Paddle Challenge events for all team members.
Sportsmanship
The Red River Paddle Challenge will not tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct on the course. Disqualification may be the result, to be determined by race officials.
Drugs and Alcohol Consumption
No participant is allowed to consume alcohol or drugs (including cannabis) during the race. Any participant suspected of consuming alcohol or drugs is subject to disqualification and being banned from any future Red River Paddle Challenge events.
Leave No Trace
Racers who discard anything into the river, or who fail to maintain gear accountability, are subject to time penalty or possible disqualification as determined by race officials. Please respect our waterways.
Aquatic Invasive Species
Aquatic invasive species (AIS), such as zebra mussels, are known to occur in the Red River and its tributaries. As such the Red River is designated as part of the Central AIS Control Zone. To prevent the spread of AIS, provincial legislation and regulations require water users (including RRPC participants) to follow the general cleaning provisions (clean, drain, dry) in addition to decontaminating, to ensure AIS are killed and removed before watercraft (e.g., canoes, kayaks, SUPs) and water-related equipment (e.g., paddles, PFDs, ropes ) are placed in a different water body or control zone. For more details, please refer to our Aquatic Invasive Species page.
Revisions to Rules
The organizers of this event reserve the right to revise any prior rules or regulations as a result of a conflict, hazard or unforeseen incident.