CARIBOU, Maine – After reviving Caribou’s longtime canoe and kayak race three years ago, organizers want to grow the event’s reputation among Maine’s racing circuit.
The Aroostook River Spring Runoff Canoe & Kayak Race relaunched in 2021 after 27 years of Caribou not having a race, with 34 paddlers enjoying a scenic flatwater trip of over six miles. Since then, participation has hovered at around 30 paddlers, but folks behind the event are hoping that a race-packed weekend in Aroostook will entice more competitors to come north.
Last year marked the Spring Runoff’s first time taking part in the Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization’s flatwater race series. Thirty-one paddlers from across the state came to Caribou, including winners from Levant, Holden and Southwest Harbor.
This year, the Spring Runoff will take place Sunday, May 5, one week earlier than normal, said Neal Sleeper, recreation program director for Caribou Parks & Recreation. Typically, Caribou holds its race the second Saturday in May.
Caribou’s race will occur the day after the Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race in Houlton, to be held Saturday, May 4, the seventh in Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization’s whitewater race series.
Sleeper said that the Meduxnekeag race did not influence Caribou’s date change. As other spring water races in Maine see lower than normal water levels, Sleeper and colleagues are hoping that water conditions will be more in their favor by early May.
“Water levels should be higher [the week of May 5], so we’re hoping to capture some of those warmer water temperatures,” Sleeper said. “But we’re happy that our race coincides with the Meduxnekeag. It would work out well for anyone who is considering traveling north.”
The Aroostook River Spring Runoff is accepting registrations now on Caribou Parks & Recreation’s website but many racers prefer to sign up the day of the event, Sleeper said.
On May 5, registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., with the race starting at 10 a.m. The Spring Runoff includes seven timed recreational and circuit classes. First place solo racers and two-person teams will receive $20 and $40 prizes, respectively.
The 6.2-mile race begins at the Lower Lyndon Street boat launch and ends at Forbes Pit, located at 1100 Fort Fairfield Road.
The race has coincided with the Caribou Riverfront Redevelopment Committee’s efforts to revive interest in the Aroostook River region, formerly a hotspot for large-scale industries like agriculture and the city’s now-defunct power plant.
Sleeper noted that Caribou’s portion of the river has the potential to become as iconic as the Meduxnekeag.
“It’s a very scenic route. You never feel like you’re in downtown Caribou,” Sleeper said.
