By Trevor Sullivan
On Saturday, July 27th, the 76th Annual Au Sable River Canoe Race Marathon commenced. The 120-mile endurance race started in Grayling and ended in Oscoda, Michigan, on the east side of the state. Kicking off at 9pm, the race took paddlers between 14 and 19 hours, with the finale extending into Sunday afternoon.
Case and Ross Kittel, local Dexter brothers, competed in their first Au Sable Marathon after spending countless hours training on the Huron River, often three times a week, in addition to cross-training. They worked and trained with another duo of Ann Arbor and Dexter locals, Doug Heady and Sean Newmister.
All the canoes used to compete were under a certain specification, as they were used for racing, as opposed to the common fishing canoe. “It’s not quite like your typical fishing canoe,” Case said. “It’s all carbon fiber, they’re roughly 19 feet long, and they’re two-person boats.”
When asked about the start of the race, Case said, “You have to run roughly ½ mile down the road, down the streets of Grayling with your boat, your paddle, and your gear before you jump into the river. Then you’re starting the race . . . It’s full of chaos. You’re dodging other boats and other paddlers, and trying to protect your own boat while still trying to race.”
The brothers had a support team that would meet them about every 2 hours to replenish their food, drink mix, and water to keep them going through the night.
“As you’re paddling throughout the night, there’s fog on the river, logs, obstructions, rocks, everything. You’re sort of going through a little bit blind, relying on your teammate to see and avoid all the obstructions in the river.”
Ross turned 32 during the race once the clock struck midnight. Case, who was monitoring the time, began singing “Happy Birthday,” much to the amusement of nearby boats.
After a little over 17 hours, Case and Ross neared the finish line, only to end up seeing their training partners, Sean and Doug. With a close sprint-race to the end, Ross and Case were beaten by 10 seconds.
The Kittel brothers finished as the fastest Rookie team from Michigan this year with a time of 17 hours, 28 minutes, and 10 seconds. That put them 58th out of the 100 qualifying boats after starting in the 78th position. “Finishing was a blast, and being able to make it through the race was an achievement.”
They’d love to thank their feed crew, family, and sponsors, who helped and believed in them along their journey: Skip’s Huron River Canoe Livery, Ore Creek Cider, Big Fish Cider, and Underground Printing.
