Length of the Lake 100 km Ultra-Paddling Race

Ultimate test': Hundreds of paddlers set to race length of Okanagan Lake
The event starts in Vernon at 7 a.m. on Aug. 31 before teams look to break the record time of eight hours, seven minutes
Logan Lockhart Logan Lockhart
about 20 hours ago
Share via Text Message
_dsc0065
Paddlers from across North America race on Okanagan Lake in Penticton for the 2024 Canadian Outrigger Distance Championships. The 100-kilometre Ultra Distance Endurance Race, hosted by Penticton Paddle Sports, takes place Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, inviting participants to race the length of Okanagan Lake.Logan Lockhart/Western News
Listen to this article
00:02:34
Fifteen outrigger canoe teams from B.C., Alberta, and even Ottawa will be in the Okanagan this weekend for a massive paddle sports event.

The 100-kilometre Ultra Distance Endurance Race, hosted by Penticton Paddle Sports, takes place Sunday (Aug. 31).

Teams will begin at Kin Beach in Vernon at 7 a.m., before racing the length of Okanagan Lake and finishing in Penticton.

“We are so excited to be bringing this iconic race back to the outrigger community,” event organizer Launa Maundrell of the Penticton Paddle Sports Association said. “We have one crew that is hoping to beat the record time of 8 hours and 7 minutes, and I think they will do it, especially if we get a north wind."

The first 16 kilometres of the race will take competitors to Fintry Provincial Park.

There, crews will do a beach change as fresh paddlers jump into the canoe for the next leg of the race, a 24-kilometre marathon to Bear Creek Provincial Park in Kelowna.

The first crew, meanwhile, will hop back in the boat and race under the William R. Bennett Bridge, continuing for 24 kilometres around the corner to Peachland.

After another crew change in Peachland, teams will paddle 20 kilometres, south toward Summerland. According to event organizers, this stretch of the race is for "frequent strong winds and big waves."

“We are keeping our fingers crossed for a brisk tailwind and hopefully some surfing waves to give the canoes an extra push,” added Janelle Parchomchuk, steersperson for Penticton's team on Sunday.

A final crew change in Summerland will lead to teams sprinting 16 kilometres to the finish line, near the iconic Peach in Penticton. One paddler from each boat, according to the event, will run up and kiss the Peach to mark they've finished the race.

More than 200 participants are expected to take part in the event, described by the event as the "ultimate test of stamina and teamwork."

“Know that this is an epic race and one you will look back on with an amazing sense of accomplishment," Maundrell said in a message to the competitors.

https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/sports/ultimate-test-hundreds-of-paddlers-set-to-race-length-of-okanagan-lake-8221848