CRWA’s Run Of The Charles Canoe & Kayak Race Celebrates Spring

Weston, MA—May 1, 2009—Paddlers and spectators of the 27th Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race, the signature event of the Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA), enjoyed outstanding Spring weather with sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s in Boston.  The beautiful weather highlighted the return of Spring and the chance to enjoy a day on Boston’s famed urban river.

The Run of the Charles highlights the efforts of the CRWA to protect and restore the Charles River.  The race drew over 1,200 competitors, more than a hundred volunteers, and thousands of spectators all along the race route on Sunday, April 26 for CRWA’s annual celebration.

“It was great to see all the families, companies, paddlers and spectators fill DCR’s Aretesani Park for the Finish Line Festival,” said CRWA Executive Director Bob Zimmerman.  “It’s amazing how many companies set up corporate picnics throughout the park.  People 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.  The CRWA does a wonderful job of showing people why it is so important to protect this river that means so much to everyone in the greater Boston area.

At the Finish Line Festival 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 AZ Sports, Boston Duck Tours, Boston Entertainment Caricatures Artists, Charles River Canoe & Kayak, Starbucks Coffee, New England Canoe & Kayak Racing Association, Premium Fun Foods and more. Over 25 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, CDM, Charles River Canoe & Kayak, Keewaydin Foundation, Mettler-Toledo, Mirant Kendal, New England Biolabs, SignArt, Skanska USA Building, Tetra Tech and Weston Solutions.

“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 the volunteers including the group from Parrot Heads of New England who run the Moody Street Dam site.

In addition to the hundreds of people who lined the banks volunteering for the Run of the Charles, over 3000 more worked diligently on the previous day during the 10th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup. Volunteers cleaned up garbage and trash in an effort to bring beauty and cleanliness back to the Charles River.

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 Kyle Kiser and Andy Rudnitsky of New York paired up to take first place with a time of 3:25:41. Rudnitsky also won last year and this year shaved almost 6 minutes off his time.

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 Street 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 3:49:43.  The Summit Heating Snoopers placed first in the Corporate Relay with a time of 3:55:38.

In the 19-Mile Races, the fastest boat was a kayak paddled by Jason Quagliata of Rochester, NY who crossed the finish line in 2:25:06.

In the 9-Mile Race, Graeme Rocket of Swampscott, MA posted the winning time by crossing the finish line in 1:13:52.

The 6-Mile Race was won by Wesley Echols of Portsmouth, RI with a time of 56:40.

In addition to Race winners, the Run of the Charles would also like to congratulate Pru Goodale, the winner of the Party on the Charles donated by Charles River Canoe & Kayak.

The work of CRWA encompasses all 80 miles of the Charles River, which meanders through 35 eastern Massachusetts towns and cities within the 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 its science methods and watershed management models.

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.