WILLIAMSBURG — Paddle On of Williamsburg has announced its plans to host its second “Paddle Round the Island Race” on June 11, 2022, at Chickahominy Riverfront Park. The event will feature two races:
- A 2.5-mile race on Gordon Creek that starts around 8:30 a.m.
- A 7-mile race around Gordon Island that starts around 8:45 a.m.
The proceeds from the race will benefit the Tidewater Wildlife Rescue, a subsidiary of Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge.
The event will also feature a raffle benefiting the organization. According to the general information page for the race, if you bring any supplies from Tidewater Wildlife Rescue’s wish list, you will receive a raffle ticket.
The race is open to all skill levels ages 16 years and over. All participants who register before May. 30, 2022 will receive a T-Shirt.
In 2021, the Paddle Round the Island event drew in around 80 participants.
“We thought we were going to cap it at 50 not even thinking we were going to get 25 because we didn’t know what to expect. We’ve been talking about having a race for years. So we ended up having to increase that cap and ended up with 80 participants,” said Lori Erwin, owner of Paddle On of Williamsburg, in a Nov. 2021 interview with WYDaily. “There weren’t just paddleboards. People brought kayaks and surf skis. We had two different races. One was a two and a half-mile and one was a seven-mile which was around the island. It was a race that went around Gorden Island.”
Following the race, there will be a ceremony & celebration that will be held at Billsburg Brewery. Awards will be handed out to the following categories:
- 7 mi – Surf Ski Kayaks: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- 7 mi – Kayaks: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- 7 mi – Paddleboards under 12.6: 1st, 2nd , and 3rd place
- 7 mi – Paddleboards 12.6 and over: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- 7 mi – Prone: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- 2.5 mi – Paddleboards under 12.6: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
- 2.5 mi – Paddleboards 12.6 and over: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place
Tickets for “early bird” registration are $35.00 and will run from Jan. 2022 – March 13, 2022.
The race is currently looking for sponsors and volunteers. Those interested are asked to email: paddleonwmbg@outlook.com.
More information about the race can be found on Paddle On of Williamsburg’s Facebook page. To register, you can visit the event page on the Paddleguru.