Sponsored by OnTheWater360 and Travelmap

Starting date: June 9th, 2023 / Estimated time: 40-48 hours “non-stop” & “non-sleep” / Canoe: 6-man 45-foot Canoe / Total Mileage: 260 miles / Two amazing veterans: West Hansen, Jeff Wueste.

THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST CANOE RACE

The Safari is a long, tough, non-stop marathon canoe-racing adventure, traversing 260 miles of challenging rivers and bay. Many participants enter the race with no intention of winning, but with the goal of joining the elite group of finishers and earning the coveted Texas Water Safari finisher's patch.

Entrants must have all provisions, equipment, and items of repair in their possession at the start of the race. Nothing may be purchased by, or delivered to, a team during the race except food, medical supplies, water and/or ice.

During the Safari, teams may not receive any assistance of any kind, except verbal. Teams must be prepared to travel day and night, nonstop, to be competitive but teams who occasionally stop for sleep have been able to reach mandatory checkpoint cutoff times and cross the finish line by the 100-hour deadline.

“They don’t call the Texas Water Safari The World’s Toughest Canoe Race’ for nothing. In addition to the length, the challenges include whitewater rapids, multiple portages, and the relentless, soul-sapping Texas heat. Competitors have four days and four hours to paddle from San Marcos, in the center of the state, to the shy little town of Seadrift on the Gulf Coast. There is no prize money for the winners; just Texas-size bragging rights for the finishers.” - Larry Rice