2024
19th annual mr340
July 23-26, 2024
Race Highlights -
611 paddlers from 37 states and 3 countries in 411 boats started the race. 322 boats finished, 65 did not start (DNS), 86 did not finish (DNF)
- 2024 RaceOwl Results
- Official Race Photography by RainbowMarks Photography
Click these links to jump below:
2024 Race Recap
After the wild weather derailment of the 2023 race, this year was a weather blessing with no major storms and temps that never broke 90. Three weeks before the race, the entire race course was underwater. As the river receded it left mud and mosquitoes but with the hard work of the Mo. Dept. of Conservation, countless communities and volunteers, the course was ready for the Missouri American Water MR340!
The first few miles of the race were through a transformed riverscape - the Buck O'Neill Bridge had been imploded, but before all of the debris could be removed from the river, the 2024 flood kept work at bay. In the days before the race, Massmann Construction crews worked to remove all of the debris from the channel. They finished the day before the race.
Heavy but spotty fog slowed some racers down and several rounds of intense barge wakes challenged most racers. Browse the Facebook group and check out links below for more inspiring stories from racers from across the country.
It was a historic year for pedal drives, with John Radford in Men's Solo Pedal knocking more than 6 hours off the record for a time of 40:24. The "Krakamaran" with Matt and Tommy Walters in Tandem Pedal Drive set a new record of 38:21. Salli O'Donnell dominated Woman's Solo once again with a personal best of 39:25:12. The Governer's Cup went to "River Hawk Boat Shop" with Robyn Benincasa, Paul Cox, Joe Mann and Nathan Tart at a blistering 36:57:00. Carrie Bax, in her first MR340, took first in Woman's Solo Pedal at 53 hours. Di McHenry, competing in her 17th MR340, had withdrawn from the race due to a broken wrist, but four days before the race, acquired a pedal-drive aluminum boat and completed the race in that!
We had a new finish line beach this year, built from scratch by the crews at Missouri American Water led by Tom Masters and Amy Duncan. It worked GREAT!
Media & News Links
NOTE - if you have additional links to share, please email Steve Schnarr. Thanks!
- PHOTOS - Official Race Photography by Chris Hammond, RainbowMarks Photography
- PHOTOS - Missouri River Relief's Flickr album for the race
- ARTICLE - "The World’s Longest River Race – MR340 – Starts Right Here" - by Dawna Bartsch, Kansas City Magazine
- ARTICLE & PHOTOS - "It’s the longest nonstop river race in the world and it started Tuesday right here in KC" - by HG Biggs, Kansas City Star
- VIDEO & ARTICLE - "700 paddlers take to the Missouri River to race 340 miles across the state" - KMBC Channel 9 - Kansas City
- VIDEO - Collection of video shorts by KMBC on YouTube
- VIDEO - "MR340 race gets underway" - Race Start from KSHB 41 - Kansas City (on YouTube)
- ARTICLE & VIDEO - "Man who is blind competes in 340-mile race down Missouri River" - by Olivia Johnson about Issac McBurney. Video on YouTube here.
- ARTICLE - "Midwest paddling royalty competes in 340-mile race with broken wrist" - by Genell Reynolds, KSDK 5 - St. Louis - About 17-race veteran Di McHenry's last-minute switch to pedal drive.
- ARTICLE & PHOTOS - Columbia Missourian - "Hundreds of MR340 paddlers hit Cooper's Landing en route to the finish line in St. Charles" & "MR340 ends with 16 Columbia boats completing the race down the Missouri River" by Reade Snelling and Caleigh Christy.
- VIDEO - "Jefferson City checkpoint in Missouri River 340 race now open" - ABC 17 - Columbia
- PHOTOS - Washington Missourian - photo album
- VIDEO & ARTICLE - "Missouri River 340 race makes its way through mid-Missouri" - KOMU Channel 8 - Columbia
- ARTICLE & VIDEO (metered paywall) - "River race passes through Jefferson City" - by Cameron Gerber, Jeff City News Tribune.
- ARTICLE (paywall) - "River Racer Survives Harrowing Buoy Crash" - Washington Missourian
- AUDIO CLIPS - "MR340 Racers Course through Mid-MO" - KMMO FM 102.9
- ARTICLE - "Missouri River 340 race worth pain for experience on the river" - by Gregory Dalton, Gasconade County Republican
Personal Blogs and Videos
- Mark Fingerhut's recap of the Paddle Stop New Haven Dragonboat team.
- Video of Terry Hume (boat #2230), the last paddler to reach the Finish Line. Posted by @NatesofSpades
- "Chasing Our Favorite Boats At The Mr340 Race 2024!" - posted by "Pest Control Guys"
- Video posted by MR Some Beaches (boat #1111)
- Video posted by "Matt's Kayak Adventures" - Matt Feltrop (boat #1164) and J.J. Feltrop
- Presentation by Jonathan Wiley about his Race Recap
Race Recaps on Facebook
Can't link 'em all, but wanted to share some good stories and conversations.
- Krakamaran Recap (boat #1235)
- Lauren Rodriquez (boat #0269)
- Barry McCullough's terrifying story of going under a dredge, and the awesome friends that rescued him. (boat #0410)
- Stephen Lynn and Dan Frisch (boat #0916)
- First Timer John Duever (boat #6612)
- Chip Bruce's story (boat #0033)