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Chicago Tribune
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Mid-American Canoe and Kayak Race a tradition that draws people every year to the Fox River
The annual Mid-American Canoe and Kayak Race on Saturday drew people from all over to the Fox River, including Steve Aydt of Arlington Heights and his 16-year-old daughter Abby. 'This is something my dad has done, but for me it's my first time,' Abby said with a big smile on Saturday morning along the river in St. Charles. 'I'm not sure how this is going to go but I think it will be fun.' First held in 1961, the event sponsored by the Fox Valley Park District included both competitive and recreational divisions. Launch points were offered in St. Charles for a 10-mile course and Batavia for a six-mile course, with both courses ending in Aurora. Facility manager at the Fox Valley Park District's Prisco Community Center Lynn Piotrowski, the coordinator of the event, spoke Thursday before the race and said some recent rain helped the event by increasing water speed on the river without causing any danger. 'With the race we have inched back up to comfortable speeds as we're at 760 cubic feet per second which is low but not painfully low,' she said. 'Earlier we were down in the 400 range and we popped up a bit.' She said the event remains a popular one. 'We have a total of 292 participants and 200 boats, which is right on target where we were last year. We're excited about that as our numbers came up a lot in the last week,' she said. 'Our numbers actually doubled in the last week and a half. I think a lot of people were holding out to see what the weather would do after the crazy weather of last year.' A steady stream of participants were gathered in bright sunshine at the launch point at Mt. St. Mary Park in St. Charles on Saturday morning. Steve Aydt said he has participated in the race for a few years. 'We signed up for the competitive race but we're going to go at our own pace and enjoy the day,' he said about his daughter and himself. 'I'm not here to break a record. This is a great way to spend time with my daughter and a day on the water.' Jerry Grimes of Aurora said that he had participated in the annual local race 'over 40 times.' 'More than that, we started in 1981. It's a family event. I've got my nephew here and his dad. We're in the adult-youth division,' he said. 'We've won our division a number of times but there are other canoes out here that are just unbelievable.' Jeff Grimes, 16, who said he would be competing with his uncle Jerry, said this was his third year doing the race and that the hardest part of racing 'is going out by the dams.' 'You have to avoid the dams and then getting out and going back in,' he said. Peter Leonard of St. Charles said he has come to the race 'a dozen times.' 'This is the only race I go to because it's local,' he said. 'I like that this is traditional and it gets people from all over and is put on very well by the park district.'
Chicago Tribune
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Mid-American Canoe and Kayak Race set for June 7 on Fox River
The annual Mid-American Canoe and Kayak Race is set to return to the Fox River on Saturday, June 7. First held in 1961, the event sponsored by the Fox Valley Park District features multiple categories for participants in both competitive and recreational divisions. Launch points will again be offered in both St. Charles for a 10-mile course and Batavia for a six-mile course, following a change where officials 'moved the launch to Geneva last year due to construction on the Island Park pedestrian and railroad bridge that spans the Fox about a mile upstream.' Both courses will end in Aurora. A press release from the Fox Valley Park District notes that 'the 2025 long course returns to Mt. St. Mary Park in St. Charles' following last year's change due to construction. Facility manager at the Fox Valley Park District's Prisco Community Center Lynn Piotrowski, the coordinator of the event, said she is happy to see the usual race format return. 'The nice thing going back is, for people who want a longer course, they have a better option,' she said. 'Secondly, the actual launch pad at St. Charles is more conducive to what we're doing since we launch approximately eight boats every five minutes. There's a wider launch pad and it's much smoother to get the boats into the water so they're ready for their start and just the tradition of it. Many people prefer that longer run.' Last year's event featured 222 boats, a number that Piotrowski said might be hit again this year. 'What makes this event so special – it's truly a community event – is that we have canoers and kayakers and that is their favorite hobby or sport and they're traveling to races every weekend. Typically, we launch them first, but it's also fun to see people who have never done this before,' she said. Piotrowski said no other changes are planned this year for the event. Registration is already open and 150 boats had already committed as of Thursday. 'We're getting about 10 more every day,' Piotrowski said. Race details offered in the park district's press release note that heats begin at 8:30 a.m. in St. Charles and 10 a.m. in Batavia, and participants must register online at or at the Prisco Community Center at 150 W. Illinois Ave. in Aurora. The race registration deadline is 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4. The finish line for both courses is staged just beyond the Illinois Avenue bridge in Aurora, and a post-race lunch celebration will be held at adjacent McCullough Park. A wristband that's good for lunch is included in the registration fee. Reuland's Food Service will be at the park for the celebration preparing a grilled lunch menu featuring several items for purchase, according to the release. Non-competitors of the race can purchase a $25 ticket that includes lunch in the park and a race T-shirt, organizers said. For more information on the event, go to
