The AuSable Canoe Marathon has a cool opening video sequence these days at its website.
It also features the photography of Mark Bialek, a racer friend who is also a pro photojournalist (https://www.markbialek.com).
There’s a lot more video and dramatic photography at the site nowadays
Here’s footage of the 2008 start, to give a taste: www.ausablecanoemarathon.org/2008-start-audio-video.html
The Marathon is the biggest spectator event in Up North Michigan. Thousands at the start, thousands along the way. All told there’s been 100K spectators some years. Whoa. For a free backwoods event, that’s kinda neat. There’s a special atmosphere in the whole region come race day. It’s worth a trip to pick up on it.
It’s also the biggest pro canoe marathon at 120 miles nonstop and a $50K prizelist. About 75 teams go for it, with the leaders taking about 15 hours. Many teams are family based, with fathers, brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, grampas, you name it. 2010 will be the 63rd running.
https://www.ausablecanoemarathon.org
