56th Annual Canoe Marathon Held in Memory of Founder

The weekend weather was perfect for the 56th annual Des Plaines River Canoe and Kayak Marathon held on Sunday.

The 18.5 mile race was founded by Ralph Frese in 1958 and is the second oldest continual canoe race in the United States. Frese passed away in December, and this year’s event was held in his memory.

Frese’s widow, Rita, and other family members attended the race this year, and said they felt his sprit among them, the Daily Herald reports. This year’s winner was Joe Johnson of Menominee, Mich with a time of 2 hours and 45 minutes, according to the paper.

For more information on the canoe race, visit canoemarathon.com