The Texas Water Safari

From San Marcos to Seadrift, The Texas Water Safari covers 262 miles of the San Marcos and Guadalupe Rivers. Paddlers have only 100 hours to complete this race using nothing more than their own muscle power and mental stamina. The record finishing time is 29 hours. That’s an incredible pace of 9 paddling miles per hour!

On the upper course, paddlers have to negotiate a number of difficult rapids and dam crossings. On the lower river the primary obstacles are sweepers, submerged trees and logjams. The final leg of the race includes the coastal marshes of the Guadalupe Delta and a sprint across San Antonio Bay.

The Texas Water Safari is held each year in June, so the sweltering summer heat presents it’s own set of challenges: dehydration, heatstroke, nausea, and hallucination are commonly reported. In addition to the river and the weather, the racers also have to deal with mosquitoes, snakes, fire ants, and jellyfish. From there, factor in 3-4 days of sleep deprivation and you’ll begin to understand the Texas Water Safari’s claim of “World’s Toughest Canoe Race”.

The course was first paddled in 1963. Since then the race has been an annual event. There is no prize money for the winning teams. Racers who finish within the alloted 100 hours are awarded the coveted Texas Water Safari patch, a veritable badge of honor recognized by the worldwide paddling community and generations of Texans who have followed this race since its inception.

Christine Johnson
Paddling for
Rett Syndrome