19^th RUN OF THE CHARLES CANOE & KAYAK RACE DRAWS THOUSANDS

Canadian Serge Corbin Wins Sixth Consecutive Canoe Marathon in Boston; Quinobequin Canoe Club Tops Relay Race Field

Newton, MA—May 3, 2001—Nearly 1,800 professional and amateur paddlers filled the Charles River with hundreds of boats on Sunday, April 29, 2001, for the Charles River Watershed Association’s 19^th Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race. 

The competitors were cheered on by thousands of spectators watching the five different race divisions which traveled the winding Charles River through Dedham, Needham, Newton, Wellesley, Waltham, and Watertown, to end at the Finish Line Festival at MDC Herter Park on Soldiers’ Field Road in Allston. The Run of the Charles attracts many of the top canoeists and kayakers in North America as well as college and business teams and families out for a fun day on the river.  

Serge Corbin of St. Boniface, Quebec, Canada, and Jeff Kolka of Grayling, MI, won the 26.2-mile $10,000 Professional Flatwater Marathon, sponsored by Boston Duck Tours, in 3:29:01, just off Corbin’s 2000 winning time of 3:28:08.  Corbin has now won the Run of the Charles Pro Marathon all six years the Pro race has been held. 

The 44-year-old Corbin, considered the “iron man” of canoe marathon racing, has won 90% of the races he’s entered (and placed 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in 99%).  Corbin enjoys the Run of the Charles, in part, the Canadian joked, “because Boston’s a lot warmer than Quebec.” 

42-year old Kolka, who shared the Professional Marathon’s first place prize with Corbin in this, his first race in Massachusetts, was pleased with the variety and quality of the Charles River.  “I was really impressed,” he said, noting the clarity of the water along much of the river’s length. 

“I’ve paddled a lot of metropolitan rivers—I commend CRWA for what they’ve done with the Charles River—other paddlers have told me how much the river has improved over the years,” Kolka said.  He also enjoyed the race because the six portages (where paddlers have to carry their canoes on land around dams or other obstacles in the river) “are not excessively long or treacherous, they break up the paddling, and the Charles River offers such an interesting mix of challenges on the water.”  Despite suffering from a bad cold, Kolka said he “couldn’t ask for a better race.”  He and Corbin plan to return to defend their title at the 20^th Run of the Charles in 2002.

The team of Randy Martin of Swanzey, NH, and Neil LeBlanc from Athol, MA, won the 19-Mile Race in 2:34:37, paddling a racing 2-man canoe.  Todd Boucher of Hudson, NH, teamed with Sean Rogers of Exeter, NH, as the The Dogs team, winning the KeySpan Energy Delivery 19-Mile Open 2-man recreational canoe race in 2:51:15.  According to Boucher, The Dogs have an advantage over other paddlers because both he and Rogers “love the portages.”  These experienced runners recommend that all paddlers facing portages spend more practice time on the road than on the water.

Boucher has noticed the improvements in the Charles River since his first Run of the Charles in the mid-1990s.  “Back then, I couldn’t get the water-spots off my sunglasses during the race,” he noted.  “Now it’s not a problem at all.”  Boucher and Rogers also enjoy the camaraderie of the race and of paddling in general.  The Run of the Charles is “a friendly race, and the paddlers show good sportsmanship,” he added.  Boucher, whose three young sons all joined him in canoe races by the time they were 2-years-old, firmly believes that paddling is a sport that people of all ages can enjoy.  The thirty-year old especially likes the fact that canoe-racing favors “older muscle.”  Boucher and Rogers will decide over the winter whether to defend their title in the KeySpan Energy Delivery 19-Mile Open OC-2 race, or if they will step up to the challenge of the Professional Marathon in 2002.

The 24-Mile Relay Race, sponsored by NSTAR, drew 134 teams this year. The fastest canoe in the entire relay race was paddled by the Quinobequin Canoe Club team, which finished the grueling race, including seven portages, in only 3:44:39.  Since first entering the Run of the Charles in 1999, the Quinobequin Canoe Club has consistently placed in the top two overall in the relay race. 

The team, which has included Barry Mac Phail of Arlington, Bob Kelly of Groton, Steve Bellefontaine of Malden and Ashland’s Wes deNering since 1999, also raced with Don Kelley of Winchester, Jamie Deucette of Andover, and Olivia White of Cambridge, MA.  They plan to return to defend their title in 2002.

The winning Corporate team, for the second consecutive year, was sponsored by the public accounting firm McGladrey & Pullen, LLP of Burlington, MA.  Anchored by Amesbury, MA, brothers Michael and Steven Dylingowski, the McGladrey & Pullen team posted a winning time of 3:50:59. 

In the 9-Mile Race, which included only 3 portages, Cambridge’s Dan Boyne teamed with West Tisbury’s John Moore to post a winning time of 1:19:39 in their 2-man kayak.

The 6-Mile Race, which begins and ends at the Finish Line Festival, saw 86 boats finish.  Kirk Olsen of North Andover, MA, in his 1-man kayak “Geezer,” won the 6-Mile race for the second year in a row as the fastest small boat at 47:58.  Overall, the fastest 6-Mile boats were the crowd-pleasing outriggers competing in the new DUKE OC-4 Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Race.   The Kent Island Outrigger team of Del Skillins of Swampscott, MA, John Dostall of Morristown, VT, and Debbie and Jim Hall of Severna Park, MD, crossed the finish line in 47:23.

Organized by the Charles River Watershed Association, the Run of the Charles highlights improvements in the Charles River and the ongoing need to protect and preserve the health, beauty and enjoyment of the river and its watershed.

“The Run of the Charles is a great success for us all,” said Charles River Watershed Association Executive Director Bob Zimmerman.  “Each year, the Run of the Charles draws more competitors out on the Charles River and attracts more spectators who appreciate the improving quality of the river.  You can’t protect something you don’t know, but a picture-perfect day at the Run of the Charles encourages more people to care about its condition.”

Zimmerman is very grateful for the support and assistance of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) which “makes this great event happen.”  He also praised Charles River Canoe & Kayak which clears the river, arranges boat rentals for many of the competitors, and monitors safety concerns, including  “the last-minute addition of a seventh portage around construction equipment in Dedham.”

Zimmerman noted that “without the support and dedication of our corporate sponsors Boston Duck Tours, NSTAR, KeySpan Energy Delivery, Mirant, Patagonia, and SR Weiner/WS Development, our Honorary Race Chairman Hal Gill of the Boston Bruins, Community Newspaper Company, and WBZ-TV, we could not enjoy this wonderful day on the river. We are also grateful to the American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts for their medical support,” Zimmerman added.

 “While the Run of the Charles draws many of North America’s best paddlers, it also brings out more than 120 of the best volunteers,” Zimmerman said.  “From CRWA Board of Directors member Richard Gonci, who volunteered as race announcer, to the NSTAR employees, Parrot Head Club members, and community-minded individuals, our volunteers keep the Run of the Charles organized, fun, safe, and rewarding for everyone who participates.  We couldn’t enjoy such a great day without them,” Zimmerman concluded.

In addition to the day-long racing competitions, spectators at the Finish Line Festival enjoyed picnics and barbecues amidst the displays of new canoes, kayaks and paddle-gear from sponsors Eastern Mountain Sports and The Kayak Center/Ocean State Scuba. Fellow sponsors Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Nantucket Nectars provided welcome refreshment for the crowds. The New England Aquarium entertained families with its live Tide Pool creatures and Sammy the Seal mascot, while the MDC, Progressive Asset Management, Peapod, and Dead River Lodge provided information about their services.

The Charles River Watershed Association’s booth was also a hit, selling copies of its Charles River Canoe & Kayak Guide and tickets to the Run of the Charles Raffle.  One lucky winner took home a new bright yellow Walden Scout Kayak from Walden Sport, while others won paddles and other gear and clothing, and Duck Tours and museum tickets, among the 50 prizes.  Refreshments and music added to the festive atmosphere.

Plan now to attend the 20^th Anniversary Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race on Sunday, April 28, 2002.  For information on the Charles River Watershed Association and the Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race, call (617) 965-5975.  Sponsorship and other information can also be obtained by checking the CRWA web-site at www.charlesriver.org. 

  PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST