Run of the Charles paddling race

Boston’s Run of the Charles returns Sunday, April 26, bringing canoe, kayak, and paddleboard races back to Herter Park in Brighton. (crwa.org) The Charles River Watershed Association lists the 42nd edition from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DCR’s Artesani/Herter Park, with paddlers starting in Brighton and Newton and finishing in Brighton. (crwa.org) Organizers are offering four race options: 3 miles, 6 miles, 9 miles, and a 14-mile relay, with entries open to beginners and experienced racers. (crwa.org; paddleboston.com) The race doubles as a river festival, with live music, food trucks, a beer garden, prizes, and displays planned at the finish area. Spectators can watch paddlers arrive between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. even if they are not racing. (crwa.org; paddleboston.com) The event is also a fundraiser and public showcase for the Charles River Watershed Association, which describes Run of the Charles as its signature event and ties this year’s race to more than 60 years of cleanup work on the river. (raceroster.com; crwa.org) That cleanup message is part of the race’s pitch: Paddle Boston says the event celebrates continuing improvements to the Charles, a river once known more for pollution warnings than for recreation. (paddleboston.com) The race has history behind it. The watershed group said the event returned in 2023 after a four-year hiatus, drawing more than 450 racers in 3-mile, 6-mile, 9-mile, and 12-mile events. (crwa.org) For paddlers without their own boats, Paddle Boston is renting canoes, kayaks, surf skis, and stand-up paddleboards, and says no day-of-race rentals will be available. Life jackets are required at all times on the water. (paddleboston.com) The practical effect is that Sunday’s race is both a competition and an open invitation to get on the water — or line the riverbank and watch hundreds of paddlers come through Brighton. (crwa.org; paddleboston.com)