LAST PADDLER STANDING
- Sarah Thornely
- Jan 3
- 2 min read
Sarah recently had the pleasure of joining the media team for an event she has followed avidly over the last three years, Last Paddler Standing. In early December 2025, it was held on the beautiful Lake June in Winter, Lake Placid, Florida and far exceeded everything she knew was going to be wonderful about the race.
Sarah wrote an article for Stand Up Magazin on her return which we thought might be of interest to our readers. Here is an excerpt:
"COULD THIS JUST BE THE BEST RACE FORMAT IN SUP HISTORY?
"For those who are not familiar with the format, every hour paddlers must complete a 3.33-mile loop, coming back to the beach and their land crew set up. On the top of the next hour, they start again and so it continues every hour for 48 hours
Most paddlers have a land crew, but some manage on their own, being responsible for food intake, hydration, rest and good timing. If a paddler is not ready and on the water on the hour, they are out! It’s a cut-throat world out there with rules that must be adhered to. These rules have been created to make the best and most interesting race format out there, and they are not to be broken.
After 48 hours, the Super Loop comes in with an extended distance of 4.9 miles, again this must be completed in the same format and within the hour. Racers who manage to complete 48 hours (and there are not many each year) often bow out and the numbers who complete the Super Loop are low – it’s quite something to have to up your speed after 48 hours’ worth of paddling day and night. This year, there were plenty of records broken."
To read the rest and see the race results, please head on over to the article here:
and do check out all the photos here:
Happy Reading / Happy Paddling
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