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Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. —
Olympic athlete Mike Herbert from Rogers, Ark. took first place in the solo division out of 19 racers both Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26 in the 2 Dam Days marathon on Lake of the Ozarks. Five paddlers dropped out on day one. Herbert also won overall fastest run taking home $2,400 in prize money.
The first annual 91 mile flat water paddle marathon from Truman Dam to Bagnell Dam for kayaks and canoes was hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance.
The time
On Saturday, Herbert moved an average speed of 8 miles per hour consistently from Drake Harbor in Warsaw to Captain Ron’s in Sunrise Beach, a total of 55 miles in 7 hours, 10 minutes and 21 seconds. First place in the tandem division, Texan team Thomas Yonley and Kyle Mynar, checked in on day one at 7 hours, 42 minutes, 30 seconds. The next racer came in almost 2 hours later and the last competitor timed in more than five hours after Herbert. Herbert set the two day course record of 11 hours, 54 minutes and 46 seconds.
The sprint
Herbert competed in a Surfski kayak which is designed to go through the waves up-wind, and ride the waves down-wind. Herbert and the Texans were side-by-side 95 percent of the time, jockeying for position eight times on Sunday.
According to first place tandem canoeist Yonley, Herbert is faster than either he or his partner Mynar, individually. If Yonley and Mynar picked up the pace their boat made a sizeable wake that Herbert would use to get a little ride. “If we could do a really fast sprint and get him behind us we could leave him, but he would never allow us to be there,” said Yonley. If the Texans got away from Herbert he would do what he does best, and how he competed in the Olympics and 37 national championships for; sprinting, thus locking in his position. As the competitors rounded the finishing line cove the crowd cheered them on and Herbert sprinted out ahead approximately 45 feet, defeating the Texans.
Safety and the US Coast Guard
Pirates Point owner Kent Morris was in charge of race safety and he escorted the racers at the front of the race while six United States Coast Guard Auxiliary boats protected the racers at different points on the lake. The perfect sunny day on Saturday brought out boat enthusiasts who rocked the kayaks and canoes making the marathon an extreme endurance race. Sunday’s cooler temperatures and drizzling rain kept boaters indoors making it an easier run for the athletes.
Olympic athlete Mike Herbert from Rogers, Ark. took first place in the solo division out of 19 racers both Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26 in the 2 Dam Days marathon on Lake of the Ozarks. Five paddlers dropped out on day one. Herbert also won overall fastest run taking home $2,400 in prize money.
The first annual 91 mile flat water paddle marathon from Truman Dam to Bagnell Dam for kayaks and canoes was hosted by the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance.
The time
On Saturday, Herbert moved an average speed of 8 miles per hour consistently from Drake Harbor in Warsaw to Captain Ron’s in Sunrise Beach, a total of 55 miles in 7 hours, 10 minutes and 21 seconds. First place in the tandem division, Texan team Thomas Yonley and Kyle Mynar, checked in on day one at 7 hours, 42 minutes, 30 seconds. The next racer came in almost 2 hours later and the last competitor timed in more than five hours after Herbert. Herbert set the two day course record of 11 hours, 54 minutes and 46 seconds.
The sprint
Herbert competed in a Surfski kayak which is designed to go through the waves up-wind, and ride the waves down-wind. Herbert and the Texans were side-by-side 95 percent of the time, jockeying for position eight times on Sunday.
According to first place tandem canoeist Yonley, Herbert is faster than either he or his partner Mynar, individually. If Yonley and Mynar picked up the pace their boat made a sizeable wake that Herbert would use to get a little ride. “If we could do a really fast sprint and get him behind us we could leave him, but he would never allow us to be there,” said Yonley. If the Texans got away from Herbert he would do what he does best, and how he competed in the Olympics and 37 national championships for; sprinting, thus locking in his position. As the competitors rounded the finishing line cove the crowd cheered them on and Herbert sprinted out ahead approximately 45 feet, defeating the Texans.
Safety and the US Coast Guard
Pirates Point owner Kent Morris was in charge of race safety and he escorted the racers at the front of the race while six United States Coast Guard Auxiliary boats protected the racers at different points on the lake. The perfect sunny day on Saturday brought out boat enthusiasts who rocked the kayaks and canoes making the marathon an extreme endurance race. Sunday’s cooler temperatures and drizzling rain kept boaters indoors making it an easier run for the athletes.
Racers will be back
The consensus among the racers was; they were thrilled with the race saying it was very well organized and extremely challenging. Most of the racers wanted to come back again next year and said the lake was a beautiful venue. They also said the people at the lake were the nicest people they’ve ever worked with in a race.
The second event LOWA hosted over the weekend was a 14 mile, “Just For Fun” recreational paddle on Saturday, September 25 which drew 14 paddlers from ages 12 to senior citizens.
Only female competitor cancels
The event attracted world champions from all over the nation. There were five divisions, male solo, female solo, male tandem, female tandem and mixed tandem, plus best overall time with $13,500 in prizes. Herbert, in a surprisingly generous move, called the last place paddler on stage and presented him with $100. “I admire you because this is your first race and you endured to the finish line,” said Herbert. The one female racer registered for the event, World and Canadian champion Christina Lawrence, cancelled due to a sickness in the family but said she is making plans to compete next year.
Race all about clean water
“The events were all about letting the nation know we have a beautiful and clean Lake of the Ozarks,” said LOWA Executive Director Donna Swall. The next step for LOWA is to work with the master naturalists and gardeners, pervious pavement and rip rap to develop ‘LOWA LILS.’
“We will be launching a new program and going to homes to test the soil in order to work with the home owners and help them to landscape to divert rain run off from flowing into the lake which will help keep our lake healthier,” said Swall. For more information about LOWA call Swall at 573-434-4400.
