This year was the biggest yet and no cancellations or flood threat! 550 paddlers in 370 boats started the race and 391 paddlers in 262 boats finished.
Towards the end of the first day was a quick but intense storm that knocked a bunch of people out of their boats. By helping each other, most racers got back in the race and heading downstream before sunset.
This was the first year that an all female boat was the first to hit the finish line (in fact first time a female was in the overall winning boat). The six woman boat "Boatylicious" took the honors with a time of 38:22. The youngest 340 racer ever, 11 year-old Konner Norman was in a tandem with his dad, Matt. The oldest 340 participant ever, 81 year-old Dale Sanders "The Greybeard Adventurer", was part of a 3-man SUP team with Shane Perrin and Jerico LeFort. This was the largest SUP field yet, with 17 starting the race and 13 finishing.
Photos
Videos
News Articles
- Columbia Missourian -"Columbia paddlers prepare for their first MR340 race" by Katryn Cawdry and Jessica Heim-Brouwer, July 18, 2016 • "Despite extreme heat and storm, MR340 paddlers go with the flow" by Jessica Heim-Brouwer, July 20, 2016; "Supported on ground and on river, MR340 paddlers don't race alone" by Katryn Cawdry, July 22, 2016;
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch - "All-women team paddles 340 miles in 38 hours to win Missouri River race" by Kristen Taketa, July 20, 2016
- Columbia Tribune - "Canoeists, kayakers enduring 340-mile race on Missouri River" by Roger McKinney, July 20, 2016
- Canoe & Kayak Magazine - "Women’s team claims Missouri River 340 canoe ultra-marathon" - by Dave Shively, July 28, 2016
- SUP Racer News - "Inspirational: Bart De Zwart, Joanne Hamilton-Vale and 14 Other Bold Paddlers Conquer the 547km “MR340” Race in Missouri"
- Jefferson City News-Tribune - "River Endurance Race Returns" - by Jeff Haldiman - July 18, 2016
- St. Joseph News-Press - "Area Men Canoe Across Missouri River" (dumbest MR340 headline ever?) - by Cody Thorn, July 28, 2016
- SUP the Mag - "81 Year Old Completes MR340 Race on Three-Man SUP" - by Phil White, July 30, 2016.
- Springfield News-Leader - "Republic boy, 11, youngest to paddle 340-mile Missouri River race" - by Wes Johnson, August 11, 2016. AND "Local Paddlers prepare for grueling 340 mile race across Missouri" - by Wes Johnson, July 13, 2016 (About team "Gemini" #2116 - Dylan McHardy and Jim Short. )
- "Paddlers pushing limits in endurance racers" - by Phil White - SUP the Mag - June 30, 2016 - mentions veteran SUP paddler Shane Perrin and his four-man, four generation SUP team "Keep Standing" featuring Dale Sanders (record for oldest man to paddle entire Mississippi River Source to Sea), Jerico Lefort and Nathan Woods.
- "Lauren Rodriguez to enter grueling 340 mile race across Missouri: The MR340" - by Allie Brown, April 4, 2016, SUP Connect
- "Alton man kayaking for a cause" - by Scott Cousins, July 16, 2016 - Alton Telegraph. About Logan Sims.
- "Local men compete in Missouri River race" - by David Merrill, Maryville Daily Forum, July 25, 2016. About Madison Davis & Tom Fletchall, Team "It's All Water" #8793
Blogs & Such
