07/24/2026
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GRAYLING - Time trials for the 78th annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon commenced on Wednesday. Paddlers competed to determine their starting positions for Saturday’s 120-mile marathon.
While some paddlers view the trials as a critical opportunity to gain an advantage for the start of the 120-mile race, others use the event to familiarize themselves with the water and for a final training run.
The field of competitors spans a 56-year age difference between the youngest and oldest racers.
Among those participating is Lynne Witte, a Charlevoix native who first competed in the marathon in 1980. This year, Witte aims to extend her record of 43 marathon finishes across 45 starts. Witte divides her training time between canoe paddling and dog mushing, noting similarities between the two endeavors. “It’s very similar except I have like eight to 10 or 12 dogs in front of me. So I have to dress them. At least I don’t dress like a new partner,” said Witte, a canoe marathon competitor and dog musher.
For Witte, the experience of the marathon extends beyond the competition itself. She highlighted the ongoing excitement and connections formed. Witte stated, “It’s exciting to see what’s going to be different the next year. Same goals to finish the best you can, like you better finish. Right. You better. You better train hard.” Witte says she knows how to train harder now than she ever did before. She added, “And I have to say, and I always say, you know, the amount of people I’ve paddled with, people I’ve met, friends. It’s worth it”.
The 78th annual AuSable River Canoe Marathon is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. You can follow Witte’s progress along with all competitors on 9and10news.com and on the Zeam app for a livestream of the race beginning at 8:45 p.m.
