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Paddle the 4th annual Mississippi River 43 Canoe and Kayak Race and Tour (aka the “MR 43”). The MR 43 is a 43-mile endurance paddling race from Clearwater to Champlin in the state of Minnesota, with competitive tour divisions, a relay division, and a non-competitive recreational tour division. Beginning at 8am on Sunday, June 15th, 2025, participants (paddling solo, tandem, or as part of a team) have until 5pm to make it to Mississippi Point Park in Champlin. The MR 43 is not easy especially if water levels are low like in 2023 when over 1/4 of the participants did not finish by 5pm, although in the high water of 2024 everyone finished easily. Racers must get to the Mississippi West ramp by 3:30pm (five miles from the finish). Participants can use canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards or any kind of self-powered boat. A relay option allows a team of people to take turns paddling four sections—see paddler’s guide for details. To rent a canoe or kayak, contact our friends at Clearwaters Outfitting. They’ll even pick it up at the finish line! The recreational tour division is an option for those who favor being more relaxed, with a focus on the goal of finishing in the allowed time versus competing against other paddlers. From the Clearwater boat ramp on the east side of the river, participants will paddle past dozens of islands, the towns of Becker and Monticello, and undeveloped, forested steep banks and small cliffs. The course continues past distinctive downtown Elk River and Dayton, through a series of suburbs with mostly scenic undeveloped banks. These cities include Otsego, and Champlin.

The entire race route is part of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) “Mississippi Water Trail.”

The DNR has excellent river maps made for paddlers that show all ramps, campsites, bridges and other waypoints. The race route can be found on Mississippi River maps 8 and 9 at: DNR maps. The final 8 miles are within the 72 mile Mississippi National River and Recreation area administered by the national park service.

A custom Google map provides a way to quickly see the entire route and important landmarks and is available at: MR 43 map

All participants are recommended to use the Webscorer tracking system, which is an app on your smartphone. There will be a link where friends, family and support crew will be able to follow the progress of those who are tracking.

Participants will pass two main tributaries during the events, both of which are state-designated Water Trails: the North Fork of the Crow River enters 34 miles into the race and the Rum River joins across from the finish line.

Join us at the Minnesota Paddling Expo from 12:00pm to 5:00pm at the finish line in Champlin. Everyone can attend whether they paddled or not. There will be carnival games as part of Champlin’s Father Hennepin Festival, and you can watch all the boats paddle to the finish line! There will also be exhibitors from various river-related non-profits and paddling businesses.

All participants who register by May 21st will receive an event T-shirt. All finishers will receive a finisher medal. Top 3 winners in each division will receive a trophy.

All participants must check in with their boat and required safety gear some time between 4:00am and 6:45am. If you are taking the shuttle you must check-in between 4am and 4:30am so you can leave at 4:30am to drive to Mississippi Crossings in Champlin to catch the shuttle. All participants must attend the entire pre-event meeting at 7:15am at Clearwater Public Landing on the east side of the river in Clearwater, MN.

Join us at the Minnesota Paddling Expo from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday, June 15th at the finish line in Champlin. The Expo is open to everyone whether they paddled or not. There will be carnival games as part of Champlin’s Father Hennepin Festival, and you can watch all the boats paddle to the finish line! There will also be exhibitors from various river-related non-profits and paddling businesses.

All participants who register by May 21st will receive an event T-shirt. All finishers will receive a finisher medal. Top 3 winners in each division winners will receive a trophy.

When you register for the event you can also sign up for a shuttle service that will bring paddlers from Mississippi Crossings in Champlin to the event start (for more details see the Paddler’s Guide). All participants are required to read the Event Rules and the Paddler’s Guide.

Experience a grand adventure on America’s most famous river! Join us for the Mississippi River 43 Canoe and Kayak Race & Tour. Please like and follow our latest updates on our Facebook page.

Divisions include: solo (men/women), tandem (men/women/mixed), SUP and Team (for more details on divisions see the Event Rules page)

Paddlers need not stop anywhere else along the route but there are numerous places to stop if desired. Participants are allowed to have a support crew meet them along the route if they choose.