There are some new things to report regarding this race. To make a long story short, it is not going to happen in 2019 but is highly likely to happen in 2020. Now for the long story: In Charlottesville, VA, there has been an annual 6.2-mile canoe and kayak race for the past 14 years. For 13 of those years, one man, Merrill Bishop, has been the driving force behind the race and single-handedly served as Race Coordinator and Organizer. Merrill stepped back and took a minor, supporting role in 2018 and this year is officially retiring from the race altogether. A skeleton crew was able to keep the race going in 2018 but the organizers looked for ways to ensure the long-term future of the race. During this period of time, a 44-mile ultra-marathon race was envisioned to boost interest and add a noteworthy endurance paddling event on the East Coast. We were amazed at the more than 40 paddlers who said they'd race in the race, but the number of people who stepped forward...
trying to make an endurance race on the Rivanna River become reality.