Huron River Canoe Race Set for Saturday

Outdoor race fans will receive a rare treat when professional athletes take to the Huron River in Dexter on Saturday for the first .

The contest, which is hosted by the Michigan Canoe Racing Association (MCRA) and the , will feature two-person (C-2) and one-person (C-1) professional canoe races.

Dexter High School teacher David Teddy organized the event with the hope of drawing attention back to the Huron River, which runs through Dexter.

"There used to be a race in Dexter back in the 1990s, but it slowly went away," Teddy said. "My intention is to try and generate interest in professional canoeing in the community again."

Events kick off at 10 a.m. with the C-2 race at Dexter-Huron Metropark. Athletes will paddle upstream to , turn the island at River Grove, and race back downstream to the finish at Dexter-Huron at approximately 11:45 a.m.  

The C-1 race begins at 2 p.m. from Hudson Mills Metropark, with paddlers turning the island at River Grove and racing downstream to the finish at Dexter-Huron at approximately 2:40 p.m.

Formerly of Grayling, Teddy said he thought of the idea of a race in Dexter after seeing how many people travel up north every year to watch the AuSable River Canoe Marathon—one of the nation's largest professional canoe races.

"If you live in the northern part of Michigan, you know that racing is huge. It's not about big aluminum canoes and plastic paddles that most people might think of," he said. "These guys are competitive and they are some awesome athletes. They train six or seven days a week for tournaments."

After the race, an award ceremony and cookout will take place at the gazebo in at 3:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, email davidteddy10@hotmail.com.