Teams competing in the MR340 river race take off down the Missouri River Tuesday starting near Kaw Point.
HG Biggs
hbiggs@kcstar.com
An armada of kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and row boats left Kansas City Tuesday and is heading down the Missouri River to St. Charles on the other side of the state. No, Kansas City has not launched a naval invasion on the St. Louis area, it’s the MR340 river race.
The MR340 is the longest nonstop river race in the world. It’s 340 miles of paddling through the silt-laden waters of the Big Muddy.
The race record for the course is 33 hours and 1 minute set by a team of paddlers in 2018. More than 400 boats either with individuals or teams propelling them with paddle power were registered to take part in the event that started Tuesday morning at Kaw Point at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers in Kansas City, Kansas.
While some teams or individuals will cross the finish line somewhere between 33 and 50 hours depending on the category of their entry, many will take much longer to complete the race. The race officially ends at 9 p.m. on Friday. According to the race website, the “Governor’s Cup” will be awarded to the boat that arrives first to the finish line with the fastest overall time.
Jacqulyn Robles, left, and her daughter Juniper Reilly, 10, prepare to begin the MR340 river race as part of a team. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
Solo racers started the MR340 at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
Paula Northern looks toward the Missouri River, as she prepares to embark on her first MR340 river race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
An MR340 competitor smokes a cigar as he and his teammate ready their boat at Kaw Point. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
A SpongeBob sponge appears as excited to enter the Missouri River attached to a canoe as racers in the MR340 who pushed off from Kaw Point Tuesday to begin their journey across Missouri. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
Cindy Falterman hikes out of knee deep mud on the shore of the Missouri River after helping push off son David in the MR340 river race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
Individual racers in the MR340 river race take off down the Missouri River starting near Kaw Point on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Kansas City, Kansas. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
The only entrant in the Dragon Boat Division of the race was the 14-member crew of The Paddle Stop New Haven team. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
The Paddle Stop New Haven team paddles their 14-person canoe into position to begin the MR340 river race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
The Paddle Stop New Haven team collides with another team at the start of the race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
A two person team competing in the MR340 river race warms up on the Missouri River before the start of the race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
A team competing in the MR340 river race launches from the muddy bank of the Missouri River near Kaw Point. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
Paula Northern paddles her kayak along the Missouri River as she prepares to embark on her first MR340 river race. HG Biggs hbiggs@kcstar.com
This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 5:57 PM.
HG Biggs is the visuals intern for The Star. She is from Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese and a minor in intelligence and security studies. HG worked for her university’s student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, for 3 years and was a photography intern for The Chautauquan Daily in Chautauqua, NY, during the summer of 2023. She has also freelanced for the Associated Press and The Clarion-Ledger.
