Race Check

[Nichele Seibel]

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All athletes must attend ONE pre-race check-in to pick up their race materials (FRI or SAT). All relay members must be present to receive the packet, or we will split up the relay packet for each participant.

ALL Triathlons & Multisports - Friends and family members will NOT be allowed to pick up for an athlete. Sorry, NO EXCEPTIONS. These events are USAT sanctioned and USAT doesn't allow anyone besides the participant to pick up race materials.

All Running & Cycling Events ONLY - Friends and family members will be allowed to pick up for an athlete if they BRING a PHOTO COPY of the athletes ID and SIGNED Waiver(s). Without these items we CANNOT release bibs. Sorry NO EXCEPTIONS. Waiver(s) will be online & emailed the by the week of the race.

If you can't make it to the expo you can register for the VIP option, or pay the $10 late fee to pick up on race morning. Those under the age of 18 will need to have an adult be present to pick-up the race packet.

Those not wearing a wristband will not be allowed into the transition zone. The wristband insures your safety and ours. The wristband is to insure that only those who have signed the waiver will be participating in the race. If your wristband was taken off before the race, you will not be allowed into the transition zone without your ID or a copy of your ID. There will be NO exceptions if you do not have your wristband or ID with you.

For a fee of $30, we organize your race number, swim cap, timing chip and T-shirt and have them available for you on the morning of the race. You will report to the VIP table and then proceed to your reserved area in the transition area in your assigned spot within your wave. You do not need to attend the pre-race expo the day before the race.

If you are already registered and you want to add the VIP option, you will need to email us at in...@kozenterprises.com. All we need is your full name and the event name. If you registered on Active.com, the additional fee will be charged to the card that you paid with on ACTIVE and we can add it. If you mailed in your registration, you will need to mail a check into the office for the additional fee or you can send us $30 through this link and forward us a copy of the receipt with your full name and event name:

NOTE: The VIP Option closes the Sunday night prior to the week of the event (7 days before) and we will no longer be able to add that option. You can still show up race morning to pick up your race materials by paying the $10 (cash only) late fee.

Please review the 2-page parking map for Kaw Point Park and the surrounding area to get a plan sorted out with your ground crew ahead of race day. Consider using the Riverfront Heritage Trail to access Kaw Point on foot on race day to avoid parking congestion. Plan to park outside of Kaw Point when all possible. Nothing worse than being stuck in traffic when you want to be stuck in your boat.

Launching into the Kansas River water at Kaw Point prior to your race start time can be quite crowded. We ask that you take care of any boat and body maintenance before getting yourself and your boat near the ramp. Take all your selfies before you get on the ramp, and please request your family and friends not follow you once you begin taking your boat toward the water, unless it's someone who is there to help you carry your boat. Our goal is to get everyone on the water in time for their start.

Do you have to launch from the boat ramp? Nope! Launch from a nearby bank on the Kansas River if you like. If you can do this, it sure saves you time. Once on the water, move upstream on the Kansas River and find a place to park yourself in your boat away from the ramp area while you wait for the race countdown.

If you're new to the race, be aware of the confluence cluster. Use the whole mouth of the river as you leave the Kansas River and enter the Missouri. Even better, hang back to watch and feel it out! The water can be very choppy here with all the paddlers and the change in current from one river to the next. The Missouri River will turn your boat downstream (to the right). Give your boat space to avoid collisions with others.

[Updated for 2024] This two-page document gives a lot of information on the MR340 Race Course, Checkpoint open and close times, Checkpoint locations, times for moon and sun rise and set and more. Click on the images below to view them in full-screen mode.

Checking in is a crucial part of the race safety plan. Remember that your first check in will have happened on Monday, the day before race start at Kaw Point. Waverly will then be the second time you officially check in. We will have a couple RaceOwl volunteers at Waverly if you or your ground crew need an extra bit of help to get the hang of it. If you are successfully tracking with RaceOwl, remember you will benefit from the auto check-in/out system process. Another good reason to track - one less thing to do at a Checkpoint.

Waverly will be crazy busy. Some of you will feel a need to hang out or even spend the night at Waverly. Resist that feeling. The park at Waverly has train tracks running through it (and loud, fast trains), and it might well be muggy and buggy. You still have at least another hour of daylight. Have your ground crew refill what you need, make sure you have your navigation lights working on your boat, and grab your nighttime gear you prepared. Maybe you even have a new paddle buddy you have made on the water. Buddy up and take off.

Keeping the ramps clear is especially important from Kansas City to Glasgow where the race pack is most clumped up. There is a steady stream of boats trying to land at Waverly, Miami and Glasgow. So be quick to exit your boat and get your ground crew's help to then carry it up and ideally off the ramp so the next boat can land. Once you're up and out of the way, you can work on your boat, resupply etc.

This area is unique in that the parking lot is not overlooking the river but is set back a bit. Ground crews - park in the lot and carry what you need to the park. Cars cannot drive to the ramp. The ramp approach is for fishermen to turn around and back down the ramp. We cannot block this. Nor can we block with vehicles or canoes, any access by folks trying to launch boats. This might sound confusing. But it's just a common sense thing once you're out there. Park in marked parking areas or along the road on the way in leaving space for passing. Don't clog roads that lead to the ramp. Walk from marked parking spots.

Again, get your ground crew to help get your boat moved up and off the ramp once you arrive. This is good practice for any ramp along the course (or anywhere else in the world). If your ground crew is waiting on you to arrive, remind them that they can always assist other racers in moving boats before you arrive too. We love all of the helpful ground crews!

These are rock structures jutting out into the current. They are installed to artificially narrow the flow of the river so that it is deeper and faster for barge traffic. It's possible these will be mostly underwater during our high water years, but there will undoubtedly be places where the water is flowing over the top or around the tip of these and making noise. You'll see the turbulence easily during the day, but at night, use your ears and be sure you're staying in the channel.

Luckily, bridges are easily seen for a couple miles before you get to them. They have lights set in such a way that a red light indicates a pier or a no-go space and a green light indicates the clear path. However, the piers at night have given paddlers trouble from time to time due to the turbulent water around them. And sometimes there are rafts of logs pinned to these that make it worse. But the green light is dead center over the navigable span between piers and so going right under this light is a nearly sure bet. But it is always a good idea to approach with caution and use your light to verify.

Knowing where the channel is located not only helps you stay in the best water for your race, it helps you know where the barge traffic has to operate. By knowing where barges must operate, you can predict where they will go and then know how to stay out of their way. A barge can only operate in the channel. You in a little kayak or canoe can navigate outside of that channel.

The channel will often stick to the outside of a bend and slowly cross to the other side of the river near the outside of another bend. The channel moves throughout the width of the river. So how do you know where it's at? There are a variety of clues, but the easiest way to know is to learn how to interpret channel markers (also referred to as day markers). These are signs you will see on the banks with symbols indicating the channel staying along that side of the river or crossing. These markers are also reflective and can be picked up with your flashlight at night.

These giant 7ft steel tubes painted either green (called cans) or red (called nuns) mark the right "starboard" and left "port" descending channel. They are anchored in the river to mark the edges of the channel. We generally don't have to worry about which side of this warning to be on as our boats are only drafting inches deep, not 6 to 9 feet like barges. Again, they come in handy when you encounter an actual moving barge because it shows you where the barge MUST go and then you know where to NOT go. At night, these are easily heard and when you hear one, shine your light. They have reflective tape and stand out well. Swing away because hitting one is not as exciting as it might seem. They outweigh your boat 50 to 1 and often have logs and other debris pinned to them that is tough to see in the dark.

Barge traffic on the Missouri is minimal but increasing. We will likely see 2 or 3 during race week but potentially more. Some are long haul and travel night and day. Some are short haul and just go a half mile back and forth from a sand dredge. Click here to view 2023 Barge Report.

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