Marathon Rowing Championship
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The Marathon Rowing Championship is a continuous 26.2-mile rowing regatta on the Cane River in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Northwestern State University is the official host of the regatta. The Marathon begins near the Melrose Plantation and ends at Front Street in Natchitoches. The regatta is open to all sculling and sweep-oar rowing boats. On the day of the Marathon, the Cane River is open only to competitors.
In comparison, the regatta is much longer than any other. Normally, the races with the longest distance that competitive crews enter are called head races (the most notable of which is the Head of the Charles) and are usually only 3 miles long. The majority of crews do not even practice on bodies of water that allow you to row 26.2 miles without turning around (usually due to lake size or the presence of a river dam).
The record time for this event is 2 hours, 34 minutes. The average time it takes to complete the course is 3 to 4 hours.
