Blazing Paddles Day-Of Info

Preliminary Schedule (subject to change, during event week please check here daily and your e-mail for updates and event day instructions).

• Registration Setup (Friday)

• Boats to be left at vehicles during pick up process

• 2 tables for pre-registered participants

• 1 table for race day sign-ups

• Tables labeled as such

• 2 tents for tables

• Athletes state last name.

• Competitive athletes receive an orange “Run the Land” bib (with a timing chip) with a pre-assigned number and a wrist-band.

• Noncompetitive athletes receive RED bib with a pre-assigned number and a wrist-band.

• All bibs must be worn on front, left side

• A volunteer will call out shirt size for shirt runner to retrieve

• Athletes take bib to Marker Volunteers to mark:

• Left bicep (all)

• Left side calf (SUP only)

• Volunteer located away from table

• Sign Ups will fill out registration form (electronic) and be assigned a bib number. There is no same day registration

• Shirts for race day sign-ups will be based upon inventory. If you do not get a shirt, we will arrange for an in-person pick-up after Blazing Paddles Paddlefest (please register EARLY!)

• Race Day data will be given to the timing tent to be put into software and then posted on this website.

• Payment collected via Credit Card Read, Cash/Check, and Venmo

1. 
   

   WEEKEND SCHEDULE (subject to change)

   Friday, July 17, 2026

   4 p.m. Gates open at Nautica Waterfront District 2398 Sycamore St. Cleveland OH 44113, (Get map). On-site packet pickup & boat & board early drop off in our secured storage zone. NOTE: You will drive in and park at Nautica, be greeted at our check-in tents, get your shirt, bib number and goodie bag. Our volunteers will help you offload your vessel and place it on-site in our secured storage area. Then visit Music Box Supper Club or Shooters or depart the venue. NAUTICA PARKING IS FREE with validation (bring your parking ticket to check-in tent and we will provide a validation sticker).

   If you are local to Cleveland, it is strongly recommended you take advantage of our early check-in & secure board/board drop-off. The Great Lakes Watersports waiver is a MUST SIGN. Doing this will ensure 1) your Saturday morning preparation will be much more relaxed and 2) our put-in process at Great Lakes Watersports will go more smoothly.

   9 p.m. check-in, packet pick-up and boat/board drop-off closes

   Saturday, July 18, 2026

   8th Annual Blazing Paddles Riverfest check-in, boat & board drop off. Riverfront Expo. It is strongly suggested you arrive on-site by 9:00 a.m!
   
   7:00 a.m. Gates open. Walk-in on-site packet pickup & boat & board drop off. Kayak rental pick-up. There is no same-day registration.

• NOTE: You will park in the Nautica parking lot, walk up to “the pad”, be greeted at our check-in tents, get your shirt, sticker, bib number and goodie bag.

• Walk back to your vehicle, and transport your boat to “the pad” staging area. Our volunteers will help you transport your vessel and place it in the holding area.

• See map (below) for temporary kayak unloading space/flow. Please keep the stairs to the pad clear. For the benefit of your fellow paddlers, make your unload SPEEDY and clear the area.

2. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Riverfront Expo begins with Cleveland waterfront and greenspace stakeholders.

   9:00 a.m. Mandatory race participant safety meeting on downriver end of Lady Caroline. Go/No Go/Delay decision.

• 9:05 a.m. Blazing Paddles racers begin entering the water. Racers will put in at the river dock at Great Lakes Watersports (get map).
  RACERS NOTE: Bib/timing chips have to be outside of your vest/PFD. Bib placement should be on left hip/thigh (for SUPs) or on upper chest (over the vest/PFD if sitting in a kayak. A second bib will be provided for your boat to assist identification at the finish line.

• All registered paddlers must complete the Great Lake Watersports waiver in order to put-in at their river location. This is a mandatory item (link) 

• Racers and recreational paddlers should respect the buffer zone (map) between the two events. All racers and recreational paddlers need to stay “river right” during their paddle. River right is similar to a divided two lane road. As you paddle, divide the river ahead of you in the middle and stay to the right half upstream and again, on your downstream paddle. Stay right buoys will provide a visual mark for you through the Cuyahoga River’s infamous curves. Downbound (northbound) paddlers have the right of way.
  All paddlers should review & memorize the course map (print it out right NOW and review it for a couple of days) for your respective event. A safe and smooth day for everyone on the river depends upon you taking this simple precautionary step.

• Check out this “ten tips for kayaking in hot weather” blog post!. Bring at least two water bottles for your paddle!

• All paddlers need to pass river right of the buoys located at:

• Stay right buoy at Superior Bend/Jacobs Pavilion

• Stay right buoy at Columbus Rd (green) bridge

• 3.75 mile stay right and turnaround race buoy at Collision Bend

• stay right buoy at I-90 bridge

• The u-turn buoy at Marathon Bend. (for 6 mile race)

• The u-turn buoy at Cleveland-Cliffs (10 mile race and for Dave Vasarhelyi Memorial)

• Blazing Paddles race divisions will depart in flights ahead of the recreation paddle (there will NOT be a mass start). Racers and recreational paddlers will be e-mailed a complete set of race and rec paddler instructions.

• 9:30 a.m. - Competitive wave #1. Start for high performance kayak, fast sea kayak, solo canoe (includes outrigger), tandem kayak, and tandem canoe (includes OC-2)

• 9:40 a.m. - Competitive wave #2. Start for SUP 14' and under, kayak, and sea kayak.
  When finishing, after rounding the stay right buoy at Superior Bend/Jacobs Pavilion, racers may take a straight line to the finish line tent on the Nautica boardwalk.

• Racers should finish within 15 feet of the edge of the Nautica boardwalk (behind the Lady Caroline), making it easier for RFID equipment to capture your tag and for our spotters to properly identify you. Our timing tent will be located on the Nautica boardwalk (across from Collision Bend Brewing Co.) (see map)

• 9:40 am: Walk-up check-in and boat/board drop-off closes. Deadline to claim rental boats, Rental boats distribution by Great Lakes Watersports and River Cruiser Kayaking.

• 9:40 a.m. Mandatory safety meeting for recreational paddlers). Adjacent to launch area at Great Lakes Watersports

• 9:45 a.m. Blazing Paddles recreational paddlers begin entering the water. Dave Vasarhely Memorial Recreational Paddle & Float participants will put in at the river dock at Great Lakes Watersports (get map).

• Note: Recreational Paddlers (Dave Vasarhelyi Memorial) will hold their position in the buffer zone/staging area until the racers have started. Once the racers have started, and a majority of rec paddlers have put-in on the river, the Dave Vasarhelyi Memorial will begin, heading upriver.

• 10:30 a.m.: Dave Vasarhelyhi Memorial Recreational Paddle & Float (DVM) departs. Paddlers will be called up from green staging area (see map) (between the Main Ave. Bridge (blue) and the “start line” at Collision Bend Brewing. Paddlers may not head downriver of Great Lakes Watersports. The DVM paddle & float will be started with a megaphone/siren.

• Paddlers have the option to paddle the entire 10 mile course or turnaround at one of two suggested locations (3.75 and 6 mile race turn-around buoys). Paddlers may also choose to turn-around anywhere that suits their tastes.

• 11:15 a.m: Put-in closes. Launch area switches to recovery.

• 11:30 - staggered racer awards ceremony begins, Presentation of race awards (or as soon as results are available).

• 12 noon - Music Box Supper Club doors and rooftop deck open. Live reggae music by Jah Messengers (at Music Box Super Club begins (free)

• 2:30 p.m.: Deadline for all Blazing Paddles Paddlefest/Dave Vasarhelyhi Memorial Recreational Paddle & Float participants to take out at Great Lakes Watersports dock. This is especially applicable to paddlers renting a kayak from one of our livery partners. Paddlers may still use the Cuyahoga River but be mindful you will be sharing the river with other recreational boaters (like a normal day on the river).

• 3:00 pm - Riverfront Expo wraps for the day.

3. Digital guide to Cuyahoga River history. Please note we had intended to update this map (the Celebrezze fireboat has been decommissioned) however grant funding failed to materialize. Below is a download link to a PDF with embedded links.
   https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjkJonvN_r1mcA09R23PfJwmsbe01_GA/view?usp=drive_link