Paddlers in 650-mile river race pass through Selma this week

Participants in a 650-mile river race will be passing through Selma starting Tuesday morning, according to Race Director Greg Wingo.

The 6^th Annual Great Alabama 650 launched at Weiss Lake Boat Ramp in northeast Alabama near the town of Cedar Bluff Saturday. Paddlers are paddling their way down the Coosa River with the goal of being the first to reach Fort Morgan near Gulf Shores.

The lead boat was expected to reach the portage point in Wetumpka sometime today (Sept. 23). They should hit Montgomery and be in the Black Belt by midday.

The lead boat should be in the Selma area in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 24. Boats further back in the race could be paddling through as late as Thursday, Wingo said. The lead boats should then reach Miller’s Ferry, a mandatory portage, late Wednesday into early Thursday.

The race has become somewhat of a spectator sport, according to Wingo. He said people are keeping up with the paddlers on an online interactive tracking map that gives up-to-the-minute progress of each paddler. The map can be found at www.AL650.com.

When spectators see on the map that the paddlers are getting close, Wingo said, “They go out on their docks, on their pontoon boats or stand on the bridges to cheer (the racers) on.”

The support really boosts the racers morale, “especially when they are that far into the race,” Wingo said.

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There are more boats participating than ever, Wingo said. The race reached its maximum of 20 boats. This year four of those are folks attempting the race on stand-up paddle boards.

Over half the field is from out of state, according to Wingo. Way out of state.

“We have one person from Germany. This is his this is his third time,” Wingo said. Another contestant is a first timer from Denmark. Many states are represented, including Florida, Washington, DC, Missouri, Oklahoma and Mississippi. “Only five or six are from Alabama,” Wingo said.

Along the route, boaters will encounter portages where the waters may not be navigable. Racers will take their boats out of the water and go around these obstacles. Wingo said these are the areas that many of the paddlers choose to get rest, resupply their boat with food and water, and yes, use the bathroom. However, he said some racers choose to paddle through the night.

Wingo said that the folks at the Alabama Scenic River Trail knew his experience as an endurance racer, so they contacted him to create a race that would showcase the 650-mile trail.

Not only has the Great Alabama 650 showcased the race route, it has also drawn attention from people within Alabama and all over the world to the vast outdoor recreational potential of all of Alabama’s waterways, Wingo said.