INSTANT RESULTS.....2019 Topo Marathon Nationals

[Matt Dagostino]

Once again Indian River, Michigan hosted the 2019 Marathon Nationals............while Saturday saw some challenging wind conditions to say the least, some 80 plus entries met the challenge. Highlights included Josh Pearson winning the Fred Miller Award. LINK below to view all the results on your APBA.org website. Special thanks to Jill Glossner (Chief Scorer) for getting you the results so quickly and to Tana Moore for putting it all together!

https://www.apba.org/news-top-o'-mic...nals-2019.html



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[Tim Weber]

Wow what a race!

This is hard core. When we started out Saturday I didn't think anyone would finish.

This is the first time I planed off in three footers.Then, ran through a sea wall that swallowed us up, look at the the pic of 78-M on APBA.org.
I may never walk straight again. My hair hurts but I made it both days!

This was quite an event. The people of the area treat us like rock stars when we all know we have rocks in our head. All along the shore line there are fans clapping and waving. Yeah, it would have been great to finish up front but the whole deal is to finish and the fans know that.

My first day I get pitched out of my boat in Mullet lake, swim back to my up-right boat, the boat laughing at me , crawled back in, re-started and made my way to the Sheboygan river to the return buoy. I didn't travel 1000 miles to fail. Then, I promptly get lost on the Black River. It's a nice river. There are lots of ducks and geese, flora and fauna but the wrong way. I probably run about 2-3 miles down before dumb, dumb figures this isn't right. Let's turn around. Me and another racer from Canada in a ASR are looking at each other, shrugging shoulders, where the hey are we?

I made it! It took 1 hour and 45 minutes. I got my money worth.

Day two I'm now a seasoned marathon racer. We're off across Burt Lake with only two footers, piece of cake! In front of us is Crooked River. I'm not sure that is the right name, maybe snake river ,river of death, river to nowhere, Jason's chain saw river murder? Parts of the river are as wide as a one lane road. We go through a swinging bridge, a small set of locks into Hay Lake. Hay Lake you sit on the clamps and go until you reach Crooked Lake and it's sort of the same.

You get out of Crooked River which is a nice boat ride and Burt Lake awaits. The lake lays down at the exit of the river then kicks your butt. We only have about 10 miles to go, only 10 miles. Across Burt you go into the sea wall of death which is the entrance to Indian River. This isn't too bad as we don't have 30 entries going through at one time. By this time my 56 year old body was pretty worn out.

Through the river I go and back to my enemy Mullet Lake. I turn around and back to the beach where we started. Will this ever end? Yes!

For me this was a " Bucket List" adventure. I ran a 40 year old Stippich boat that was first owned by Dave Schmitzer, then my Grandpa. It has been in dry dock since 1987. This was not the right boat. I knew that going in but this was a tribute to Carl Stippich, Grandpa and Dave. It was mostly to me. Can I do this this?

I did!

Tim

[jon66w]

Glad my restoration of it and lengthening the cockpit of it worked. How did you get it to turn right ?

[flatsmoke]

There were 29 CSR entered and only a dozen at Wakefield. Maybe we (boat racing) are missing something by not running more marathon races? Out West, more people ask me about the Sammamish Slough (28 mile up and back race between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish) race then any other race except for the Seafair Unlimited race.
I digging the instant results!!!

[DeanFHobart]

There were 29 CSR entered and only a dozen at Wakefield. Maybe we (boat racing) are missing something by not running more marathon races? Out West, more people ask me about the Sammamish Slough (28 mile up and back race between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish) race then any other race except for the Seafair Unlimited race.
I digging the instant results!!!

I agree flatsmoke.

[KG4]

Marathon racing is strong in region 6.My son and I are going to race top o next year.If you have never been to the to o Marathon nationals try to check it out and is just plain awesome!