| Event Basics: The centerpiece competition of the 2026 Willamette River Festival will be an upstream attainment race launching from the River House Beach. Competitors will race upstream, paddle around a buoy anchored in the rapids, and return to the starting line. We will run this race using a mass start, making for a thrilling race for both participants and spectators. We will have two divisions for competitors of varying skill and experience levels.
When and Where: Competitors should arrive at the River House Beach at 11:45am to stage their boats and sign in with race organizers. Competition boats can be unloaded in the River House driveway before parking at the nearby School District 4J parking lot.
We will aim to launch the competitive division race at 12:10pm, with the recreational division race beginning at 12:20pm.
What to Bring:
- A kayak or canoe suitable for upstream attainment – longer, narrower boats will give some extra speed, but we encourage participants to compete in whatever boat they have!
- A suitable PFD / life jacket. We strongly recommend a Class III PFD approved by USCG for paddling (see this guide on how to read your PFD label).
- A whitewater river helmet is required for all competitions at the Willamette River Festival. Eugene Rec will have helmets available for all participants who do not own a helmet.
Additional Details:
- All participants will be required to sign a Eugene Rec event liability waiver when signing in at race headquarters.
- Prizes will be awarded to the winner of both race divisions. The award ceremony will take place at the festival main stage at 6pm.
- All participants will receive a raffle ticket entering them in a drawing for a plethora of prizes donated by boating companies and local businesses! Raffle drawings will take place at the festival main stage after the award ceremony.
Questions? Reach out to event coordinator Luke Stuntz at lukestuntz@willametteriverkeeper.org. |
