CRWA’s Run Of The Charles Canoe & Kayak Race Celebrates Its Best Year Ever

Waltham, MA—April 29, 2008—Despite grey skies and rain, the 26th Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race, the signature event of the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), enjoyed its best event ever in 2008.
The Run of the Charles, showcasing the ongoing improvements to the Charles River, drew over 1,400 competitors, more than a hundred volunteers and thousands of spectators all along the race route on Sunday, April 27 for CRWA’s annual celebration on the river. 

“I have never seen so many people in Herter Park,” said CRWA Executive Director Bob Zimmerman.  “I spent some time wandering around listening to people at the corporate tents throughout the park.  They were excited, happy, and into it. You can’t love what you don’t know, so increasing awareness about the Charles River is the key to maintaining its existence. With involvement at an all-time high this year, I feel we did a wonderful job of showing people why it is so important to protect the this river that means so much to all of us.”

At the Finish Line Festival, at Herter Park on Soldiers Field Road in Brighton where all races finished, day-long activities for the public were held free of charge.  The Festival featured live music by the Dixieland-style New New Orleans Jazz Band, various food vendors and exhibits from groups such as Can Coctions, Boston Ski & Sports Club, Boston Duck Tours, Hydrive Energy, LLC, Ameriprise Financial Services, US Coast Guard, Larabar, Starbucks Coffee, REI, Charles River Saab, Ben & Jerry’s, Tribe Mediterranean Foods, New England Canoe & Kayak Racing Association, Honest Tea, American Laser Centers, Rae’s Gourmet, Premium Fun Foods and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Over 20 companies had picnics at the Finish Line Festival after their race was over, adding a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship to the day.

“Without the support and dedication of our corporate sponsors,” Zimmerman said, “we could not enjoy this wonderful day on the river.”  He thanked the sponsors of the Run of the Charles including Boston Duck Tours, Boston Ski & Sports Club, BSC Group, Building 19, CDM, Charles River Canoe & Kayak, Charles River Saab, Community Newspaper Co., Haley & Aldrich, Keewaydin Foundation, Mirant Kendall, New England Biolabs, REI, Sea Kayaker Magazine, SignArt, Skanska USA Building, SR Weiner/WS Development and Tetra Tech.

“Equally important are our volunteers,” said Zimmerman. “Each year they come out to support the CRWA and the Run of the Charles, and without their unwavering support, this event would not be possible.” He thanked volunteers from organizations including volunteermatch.com, Boston Cares, Parrot Heads of New England and State Street.
In addition to the thousands of people who lined the banks volunteering for the Run of the Charles, hundreds more worked diligently on the previous day to prepare for Sunday’s events during the 9th Annual Charles River Clean Up.

Volunteers cleaned up garbage and trash in an effort to bring beauty and cleanliness back to the Charles River.
“This was my 18th Run of the Charles and 9th Clean Up, and I think they were both the best yet,” said Zimmerman.

The Run of the Charles builds support for the Charles River Watershed Association which seeks to protect and enhance the health, beauty and enjoyment of the Charles River and its tributaries.  CRWA’s prominent role in protecting and restoring the Charles River since 1965 accounts for a much healthier Charles River today.

The Run of the Charles featured a variety of races. In the 26-Mile Flatwater Canoe Marathon, the team of Matt and Andy Rudnitsky of New York paired up to take first place with a time of 3:31:58.

Among the most challenging features of the Run of the Charles are the six portages where boats must be carried around an obstruction.  The dams in Newton, Wellesley, Waltham and Watertown forced paddlers off the river and onto their feet, shouldering their boats while they ran to the spot where they could get back on the water and resume paddling.  Paddlers raced across Route 16 on the Newton-Wellesley line and across Moody St. in Waltham, running for nearly a ½-mile on each of these portages alone.

In the 24-Mile Relay Race, the Quinobequin Canoe Club posted the winning time for the sixth year in a row, finishing the 5-leg, 10 person relay in 4:00:04.  The MassLakes.com Snoopers took back their title by placing first in the Corporate Relay with a time of 4:00:09.

In the 19-Mile Races, the fastest boat was a kayak paddled by Erik Borgnes of Sturgeon Bay, WI who crossed the finish line in 2:28:38. Erik also won this event last year.

In the 9-Mile Race, Cory Lancaster of Medford, MA posted the winning time by crossing the finish line in 1:11:40. The 6-Mile Race was won by Joe Ervin of Manasquan, NJ with a time of 57:38.

In addition to Race winners, the Run of the Charles would also like to congratulate the winners of the canoe and kayak raffle. Chris Leuchtenburg of Newton, MA won the Santee 116 Kayak donated by Hurricane Kayaks. Chris also participated in the 9-Mile Race. Jay Jackson won the FeatherLite 9.5 Kayak donated by Heritage Kayak and Charles River Canoe and Kayak. Jay participated in the CDM Canoe Driving Maniacs Team in the 24-Mile Race.
           
Charles River Watershed Association advocates for stronger government policy to protect the Charles, monitors the health of the river’s waters and wildlife habitats, and protects water supplies from unmitigated withdrawals. The work of CRWA encompasses all 80 miles of the Charles River, which meanders through 35 eastern Massachusetts towns and cities within 308 square miles of the Charles River watershed.  The nearly 1.5 million citizens who live in the watershed, totaling 23% of the state’s population, benefit from a clean and healthy Charles River.  CRWA’s successes have led many organizations across the country to emulate their science methods and watershed management tools.

For more information or full results from the Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race, please visit www.charlesriver.org.  To become a sponsor of next year’s Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race, please contact (508) 698-6810 or rotc@crwa.org.