Run of the Charles Paddling Race

Boston’s Run of the Charles returns on Sunday, April 26, with paddlers racing multiple courses on the Charles River and finishing at Herter Park. (crwa.org) The Charles River Watershed Association lists the event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Herter Park in Brighton, with races starting in Brighton and Newton and ending at Herter/Artesani Park. (crwa.org) This year is the 42nd Run of the Charles, according to the Charles River Watershed Association and Watertown News. Organizers say racers can enter 3-mile, 6-mile, 9-mile or 14-mile relay courses. (crwa.org) (watertownmanews.com) The race doubles as a public festival. The Charles River Watershed Association says Herter/Artesani Park will host Finish Line RiverFest with live music, food trucks and a beer garden while paddlers come in between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (crwa.org) Run of the Charles has been held every year since 1983 in partnership with Paddle Boston, the watershed group says. The event now draws hundreds of kayakers, canoers and stand-up paddleboarders each April. (crwa.org) The race is also tied to the river’s cleanup story. The Charles River Watershed Association says the event marks more than 60 years of work toward a cleaner, more resilient Charles River. (crwa.org) For racers still deciding, online registration closed after April 22, and Race Roster says day-of registration will be available on-site for $90 per paddler. Early registration had been $75 per paddler through April 22. (raceroster.com) Paddle Boston is also renting boats for the race, with reservations required and no day-of-race rentals available. Its posted prices include $67 for a plastic single kayak, $75 for a stand-up paddleboard and $99 for a Kevlar canoe. (paddleboston.com) The result is a race that works as both competition and riverfront spectacle: short and long courses for paddlers, and a finish-line crowd at Herter Park for everyone else. (crwa.org)