After an exhilarating and challenging 650-mile paddle race across the waterways of Alabama from Weiss Lake down to Fort Morgan, the seventh edition of the Great Alabama 650 has reached its conclusion.
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After an exhilarating and challenging 650-mile paddle race across the waterways of Alabama from Weiss Lake down to Fort Morgan, the seventh edition of the Great Alabama 650 has reached its conclusion.
Paddlers from all over the world have tested their mental toughness over the past 10 days, paddling through over 650 miles of the beautiful, but unforgiving, rivers of Alabama all the way down to the Gulf.
The overall race victory went to Mobile native Matt Taylor and Clearwater, Florida native Bobby Johnson, who completed the course in 5 days, 9 hours and 3 minutes.
The tandem category mirrored the overall results, with Taylor and Johnson finishing first. Following them was last year's overall winner Trey Reaves and his partner John Wellens in 5 days, 19 hours, 15 minutes. Jeb Berry and Susan Jordan placed third in 7 days, 5 hours, 36 minutes, while Izzy Nicolier and Lillian Nelson finished fourth in 9 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes.
In the solo female division, Salli O'Donnell claimed first place in 6 days, 17 hours, 53 minutes, followed by Gayle Taylor in 9 days, 19 hours, 15 minutes. O'Donnell is originally from Dothan, Alabama and has competed in the race every year since 2019, owning the division record at 4 days, 22 hours and 39 minutes set back in 2021.
The solo male division was led by Chris Thomas, who finished in 7 days and 51 minutes. Jake VanLue came in second in 7 days, 2 hours, 54 minutes, followed closely by Eric Dittenber in 7 days, 13 hours, 22 minutes. Mirko Pruefer finished fourth in 7 days, 22 hours, 18 minutes, and Chris Logan placed fifth in 8 days, 4 hours, 41 minutes. Gary Johnson completed the top six in 8 days, 20 hours, 40 minutes, while Jason Hochsprung finished seventh in 9 days, 20 hours, 55 minutes.
The Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) organization congratulated all the participants in a news release, including the top finishers in each category, for their remarkable achievements. The Great Alabama 650 saw a successful year with 13 boats in total finishing at Fort Morgan the release said.
