Description: The Great Portage River Race on the Missouri River is the culmination of activities during the Lewis and Clark Festival in Great Falls. This 11-mile race from Big Bend Fishing Access Site downstream to Broadwater Bay is dedicated to the 'voyageur,' the 'muscle' of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.The registration is from 7:00pm - 9:00pm at Oddfellows Park at the Broadwater Bay parking lot near the boat docks. The registration fee is $20 per person, which includes an original design T-shirt and a donation to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Association. Preregistration by mail is encouraged and must be postmarked 5 days prior to the event. The race starts at Big Bend Fishing Access Site at 10:00am with a mass start. All entrants must launch or load own watercraft. All participants must wear Coast Guard-approved Type 3 PFDs (personal flotation devices) during the entire race. To qualify for time, watercraft should complete the race in 5 hours. Finish and take-out point is at Broadwater Bay with awards being presented there at 3:00pm. Food vendors will be available for refreshments. A special event will be the race in 'dugout' boats. This category is to include a wooden dugout from a tree or if made from dimension lumber must meet specific qualifications. Awards in this special event will be presented to most authentic, most innovative, and the fastest. Another fun event will be the 'Build a Boat in 30 Minutes', which will start at 2:00pm and include a course from Oddfellows Park downstream 400 yards to Broadwater Bay. Racers will construct a boat from cardboard, plastic wrap, duct tape, and a cutting tool in a staging area at Oddfellows Park. For more information on the Great Portage River Race or to obtain a registration form, contact John Schukei at 453-2841 or email: skijor@imt.net.
Directions: The race will begin at the Big Bend Fishing Access Site located 10 miles upriver along Lower River Road and ends at Broadwater Bay.
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