HIGH ACHIEVERS: Get your boat, paddles ready for return of Upper Jock River Paddling Race

By Martin Cleary

If you’re a paddler looking to bring out your canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board for a marathon spring adventure, then circle April 16 on your calendar or enter it into your social media files.

The 49th annual Upper Jock River Paddling Race is back in business, and if all goes well, it will be staged for the first time in three years on the third Saturday of April.

Race director Gaetan Plourde of North Gower, Ont., is thrilled and fully confident “the happy, family event” will play out just like in pre-COVID-19 pandemic days.

“It’s pretty exciting. I’ve had 50 teams sign up already,” he said in a phone interview Friday. “It seems like there’s a lot of interest. It’s coming. It’s super exciting to come back. It has been three years since we had a race and it will be fun to see everyone come back.”

After having the 2020 and 2021 Jock River races cancelled because of the health and safety concerns related to the pandemic, he’s anxious to see his family of recreational and competitive racers take on the 12.5-kilometre course from Munster Road to Richmond.

“People are super happy to see it back,” added Plourde, who is supported by 25 race volunteers and sponsors like King’s Your Independent Grocer and Toddy’s Potties, both in Richmond, as well as the RA Centre Canoe Club. “They want to get back and moving, back to normal. This will bring life back to normal. We have 50 registrations and we’re not done February yet. I’m not surprised, but happy. That’s a strong showing.”

Seven weeks out from the scheduled race day, Plourde is wondering if the return of the Jock River race could break the record entry of 135 boats (2018), which will likely depend on the air temperature and water levels at that time of the year.

“I’m certain it will happen,” Plourde said about the staging of the race, but adding the influence of Mother Nature could push the race date later into April.

Race postponements are nothing new for the Jock River race.

In 2017, the race was scheduled for early April, but shifted to April 15 because of cold weather. The Jock River was still frozen for two tentative dates in 2018, April 7 and 14, but a record crowd of paddlers hit the water on April 21 to soothe their marathon dreams. In 2019, the April 13 and April 27 race dates were postponed for respective reasons that the fen was still frozen, and there was a forecast of significant rainfall, cooler temperatures and strong winds. The paddlers did get to race on May 4.

As much as Plourde tried to get the paddlers on the water for 2020 and 2021, the pandemic was too much of a challenge.

“It was frustrating. We did what we could within the restrictions and then everything closed down before the (2020) race. We weren’t sure how to react,” added Plourde, who took over as the Jock River race director in 2013 from John Hiley. The race was originally started by Goulbourn Township in 1971.

“We looked at opportunities to run the (2021) race with no mass start and no awards and food. We tried to find a way to get the people out. But a couple of weeks before the race, we went into the red zone (and couldn’t race).”

Plourde, who has competed in the multi-day, 715-kilometre Yukon River Quest marathon 13 times, has made some significant administrative changes for the 2022 spring run-off race to make it easier for the paddlers. For the first time, paddlers can register and complete their waiver form online at http://www.jockriverrace.com, and receive their boat number at the start line.

“It’s a small community event, but the paddling community is super tight and super friendly,” he said. “It’s a race and most are there for a fun day, but some boats are competitive (trying to go under one hour).”

As for the 50th anniversary of the race in 2023, Plourde hopes to re-introduce the Lower Jock River Paddling Race, which will follow the original course from Richmond to the Rideau River, covering about 18 kilometres. Both the Upper and Lower Jock River races would run at different times on race day to allow marathon paddlers the opportunity for a daily double.