COLUMBIA — Over 500 racers took off on the MR340, the world’s longest nonstop river race from Kansas City to St. Louis, Tuesday morning. Boats under the names “Never Skip Leg Day,” “La Vida Loca” and “River Raiders” are just a few of the over 300 teams racing in this year’s 20th annual MR340.
Paddlers in the top five came through the Jefferson City checkpoint Wednesday morning, some stopping to refresh water, then getting back out onto the river.
“We’ve seen voyager canoes, there’s people rowing in a dinghy, facing backwards in the river,” said Jeff Haderthaeur, a former four-time MR340 finisher who’s serving as a safety volunteer this year. “If it floats, it’s out here. It may not finish, but it’s out here.”…