2025 Run Of The Charles

The Run of the Charles was today in Boston, the Charles River Watershed Association maintains the river for all of us to enjoy. Paddle Boston, Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Mark Jacobson, Bryce all the volunteers make it all happen. Meg Farrer , Race Director has done a great job bringing this race back after a pause during covid. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THESE folks.

There are quite a few distances from 14 to 3 miles with different categories of craft. For many years now, most of us surfski paddlers race the 6 miler with a few exceptions like Rob Flanagan, and this year Jim Hoffman. Rob was paddling Timmy Shields, mohican as tribute to our friend who passed away last year. We all miss Timmy.

Waiting to get on the water for the race was a chilly affair. Forecast was for 50’s but with the wind and overcast it felt like 30. Once on the water, the experienced paddlers know not to over dress. The course headed south after a short turn around the first bridge, then it was 3 miles into a strong wind, crisscrossing the Charles as winds every half mile or so passing all the famous rowing boat houses. The last 3 miles with the wind at our back was a welcome relief. Mike Florio won with Eli Gallaudet coming in second, and Greg Lesher, third. Full, corrected results will be available soon for all classes. It was so good to see everyone, Jean, Igor, Tyrone Dell, Chris Chappell Leslie Berchtold Chappell , Mary Beth, Greg Lesher, Hank, Bill Kuklinski, Timothy P. Dwyer Chris Sherwood.

My race went well for the amount I have trained. After getting warmed up and shedding my pogies for the race, I was ready to go. The course bears left 50 yards from the start so all the boats get sandwiched here. Plus all the momentum from the start creates an 18 inch wave as we bear left. I tapped braced and slowed for a few strokes then on to the first turn around the bridge. Flatwater racing is all about riding wash if you are fast enough and fit enough to get on someone’s wash and maintain that pace without getting dropped. Hopefully their are enough racers so you leap frog or drop off and still be in a pack. Otherwise you are have to do all the work yourself. Flatwater racing is a grind. It makes you fit for ocean paddling but lacks the obvious dynamics of ocean paddling.

So I was in no man’s land(paddling on my own) for all but a few minutes of the race. I was always chasing Ty Dell in his K1 not able to close the few boat lenghts except when I got on Mary Beth’s and Bills tandem for about 3 minutes. I was hoping they would pull my to him and I could get on his wash. Nope! I made up some of the gap but could not hold their pace and dropped off. They caught Ty and he in turn hopped on their wash all the way to the 3.5 mile turn buoy fighting a very strong headwind and opened up their gap on me. Mary Beth and Bill lost their lead on the final turn to Ty. Now with the wind at our backs, paddling was so much easier hitting speeds of 6.0 to 7.2 mph. I maintained the gap these guys had on me, meaning was not losing time. I watched Mary Beth and Bill close on Ty and came within single digit seconds of him at the finish. Ty was not listed on the results page but he raced.

Of note in the leaders group was the beginning of a change of the guard. Eli has been training hard and was ahead of Greg Lesher at this race while closing the gap on Mike Florio’s margin of victory to a mere 3 minutes vice the 5 or 6 Mike is used to. It takes a few years to really get in paddling shape, racing shape in surfskis if you are new to it. You quickly figure out or get humbled that its takes a lot of work to get good at racing surfskis. There are many aspects to consider, boat selection, paddle selection, stroke technique, stability on the ocean for power including leg drive, ocean skills, tactics, safety and paddle fitness. This is why is takes a few years to sort all this out. It is also why many of us older paddlers can still be competitive having sorted all this out and just have to worry about staying in paddling shape as we decline in power output and max heart rate.