2015 champions reclaim title at 71st AuSable River Canoe Marathon
2018 AuSable River Canoe Marathon Champions Steve Lajoie and Andrew Triebold with trophy. (July, 29, 2018)
OSCODA, Mich. — The 71st AuSable River Canoe Marathon was predicted to be a battle to the finish between 2015 champion team Andrew Triebold and Steve Lajoie and the defending champions Christophe Proulx and Samuel Frigon, but the race ended with a 14 minute gap between the two canoes. This year’s race marked the 10th AuSable victory for Triebold and Lajoie finishing in 14:17:36. Over the years the team has changed partners, but know that they work the best together. Triebold is a Michigan native from Grayling and Lajoie is from Quebec.
Paddlers traveled from all over the nation and world, including two brothers, Logan and Kyle Mynar, from New Braunfels, Texas. The two finished fifth with a time of 14:44:13.
There were also a few northeast Michigan paddlers including Tawas native Kyle Stonehouse. He finished second, but says his favorite part of the race is hearing fans cheer along the 120 mile course, “Go local!”
This marathon race continues to grow with 84 2-person teams in 2018, making this the fifth field in marathon history. With over 25 of the top 50 paddlers in North America competing, this race is one of the top world-class events right in our own backyard.
