The Marsh Mash Canoe and Kayak Race is the 4th oldest Marathon Canoe Race in Ontario.
The race attracts Canoeists, Kayakers, Stand Up Paddleboarders, and Outrigger Paddlers from all over the province!
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023
Location: Sovereign Grace Church (1466 5th Sideroad, Bradord)
Agenda
Athlete Check-in: 8:00-9:00 am
Athlete Briefing: 9:15 am
Races start at 10:00am
Sanctioned By: Ontario Marathon Canoe Kayak Racing Association
Registration is CLOSED
2023 Registration Fees
- Adult Paddlers (18+ years): $25.00
- Junior Paddlers (6-17 years): $15.00
- OMCKRA 1-day Membership: $8.00
More Information
Race Classes |
25 km
18.3 km
9.3km
5.2km
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Results |
Marsh Mash 2023 Results |
Course Map |
Start at the Church and go south-west for 1.5 km. Make a 45 degree turn (right to left) around the buoy at this corner. Follow the canal for 1.1 km., and make a 180 degree turn (right to left) turn around the buoy**, and return to the finish/start line at the Church. ** This buoy is just about 100m north of the bridge at Highway #9.
Start at the Church and go south-west for 1.5 km and do a 180 degree turn (right to left) around the buoy, and head back to the Church, and keep on paddling east to Highway 400. Go under the bridge on the right side (south side), do a 180 degree turn and come back under the bridge on the other side of the canal (the north side of the canal). Paddle back to the Church, and keep going west back to your first turn around buoy. Do a 180 degree turn around this buoy and head back to the finish line at the Church.
Start at the Church and head east towards the bridge over Highway #400. Go under the 400 bridge and continue east on the canal for another 6km.
Start at the Church and paddle south-west to a buoy at the corner (approx. 1.5 km.) and do a 45 degree. Turn (right to left) about this buoy, and head south for approx. 1.1 km. There is a buoy about 100m north of Highway #9. Do a 180 degree turn (right to left) about the buoy and head back to the Church. Then paddle east for approximately 7.25 km to a turn around buoy that will be at a point where another branch of the canal meets the main canal. Do a 180 degree turn around this buoy, and head back to the Church, and continue 1.5m south-west to the buoy at the corner. Do a 45 degree turn (right to left) and continue south to the buoy just north of Highway #9. One last 180 degree turn (right to left) and head back to the finish line at the Church. |
Directions |
Sovereign Grace Church
If you are travelling from Toronto |
Boating Safety |
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About Marsh Mash |
The Marsh Mash Canoe and Kayak Race is the 4th oldest Marathon Canoe Race in Ontario. It is just one of a number of Marathon Canoe Races that are sanctioned by the Ontario Marathon Canoe and Kayak Racing Association (OMCKRA). The race attracts Canoeists, Kayakers, Stand Up Paddleboarders, and Outrigger Paddlers from all over the province. There are a great number of classes and a choice of Race Distances. The new canal (that surrounds the Holland Marsh) provides one of the best canoe racing courses in Ontario. It is a very safe course, and we are extremely safety conscious. There are classes for paddlers with very little canoe racing experience, and there are classes for very competitive paddlers.
Sanctioned by the Ontario Marathon Canoe and Kayak Racing Association (OMCKRA). |
Marsh Mash History |
In July of 1979, Janice Matichuck and Peter Puddicombe organized and ran the first Marsh Mash Canoe and Kayak Race. While training for the race, and setting up the course, they found the weeds to be so thick that they literally had to “Mash” their way through – hence the name the Marsh Mash. The race started at the Highway 11 bridge and the Holland River. The course was one complete lap of the canal that surrounds the Holland Marsh – a distance of approx. 27.5 km. The event was supported by local Bradford merchants, the South Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority, and the Moro family from the Holland Marsh. The following year Janice and Peter moved away, and the Conservation Authority ran the race. Peter Seibert from the Conservation Authority was very supportive of the race. Robert Alsop did the bulk of the work for the Conservation Authority. In those early years framed native prints were the prizes. In the mid eighties the Conservation Authority suffered some serious funding issues, and were not able to provide assistance to run the race. Iain Craig, who had been involved from the start, took over the organization and running of the race. By that time the race date had been moved into mid June (an attempt to beat the weeds). The race start/finish location moved to the Portuguese Cultural Centre on Canal Road.
In May of 1985 a tornado ripped through the Marsh, leaving incredible amounts of debris in the canal. Amazingly the Drainage Commission had the canal clear in time for the Marsh Mash. In the late eighties the single Canoe (the C1) became a popular class.
By the early nineties the course was changed to use only the north part of the canal – it was too difficult to keep the entire course clear. The race continued to attract many of the top Marathon Canoe and Kayak racers in the province.
Holding the race in May meant that there were fewer weeds. By 2007, the Marsh Mash became a World Team Qualifier. Young kayakers who wanted to represent Canada at the World Marathon Canoe and Kayak Championships, had to compete for a position on the team by competing in a Qualifying Race. The Marsh Mash continues to be a World Team Qualifier.
A highlight of the 2013 race was having two Olympic Medalist attend and compete at the event. Mark Oldershaw, Bronze Medalist in the C1 1000m at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Adam van Koeverden, Silver Medalist in the K1 1000m at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2019 there were 100 registered paddlers. The number of Stand Up Paddleboard competitors is increasing. There were no races in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
Starting in 2022, several classes will paddle the 28 km course that goes around the Marsh – just as they did when the race first started in 1979. The Race continues to be a World Team Qualifier.
The race continues to operate in a partnership with Iain Craig and his family, and the BWG Community Services Department. |
For race specific questions, please contact craigers@rogers.com or 905 967 3108.
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