Before the first light touches the water, Ross’s Landing already buzzes with energy. Paddles clatter, racers line up ready to launch their boards & kayaks, and anticipation ripples through the crowd. The still morning air gives way to splashing paddles and cheers as one after another launches into the Tennessee River Gorge. From the starting line at Ross’s Landing, racers power through 31 exhilarating miles to reach the finish line at Hales Bar Marina & Resort.
The Challenge Begins: Racing into the Gorge
The first gunshot echoes across Ross’s Landing as racers surge forward, slicing through the water as the sun rises behind them. The race bursts into motion in three heats, each pulsing with its own energy. At 8:30 AM, Heat 1 launches and stand-up paddleboards, prone boards, wide kayaks, and C-class canoes lead the charge. Ten minutes later, six-person outrigger crews push off, padding in perfect synchronization. By 9:00 AM, the final heat storms the river: surf skis, tandem surf skis, and all other outrigger canoes cut their own path through the gorge.
We asked about the atmosphere at the starting line, Dana Thomason Bittenbender, an eleven time racer from Atlanta said, “We had a beautiful start, we became one paddle in that moment and took off from the start!”
From the first paddle stroke, racers take the Tennessee River head-on, powering through every bend the gorge throws at them mile by mile. The water tests their strength, the distance tests their focus, and the hours ahead demand pure determination from start to finish.
Stories from the River: The Journey Between Start and Finish
As paddlers move through forests ablaze with fall colors, herons wheel overhead and the occasional splash of a fish reminds racers they share the river with its’ wild residents. At popular vantage points like Suck Creek, spectators pause to watch and cheer, offering encouragement along the way. These moments of support carry racers toward the final miles and keeps energy high as they near the finish…