this is a marathon canoe/kayak race. It starts in san marcos and ends in corpus. It is 260 miles and needs to be finished in under 100 hrs. I want to compete in it in 2012. Has anyone done it before?

Not me.

Are you familiar with the website paddle24seven.com/ ?
Lots of TWS info there.

It's starts in San Marcos and ends in Seadrift,

Have never done the race, but our cabin is towards the end of the race. We watch them every year, some very tired paddlers going by. They have several prep races before the main race, i would recommend trying one first.

I officiated for it 2 years ago. Its tough. Winning team that year was a 6 man canoe team from Belize. Took them 44 hours if I remember right. A LOT of people did not complete it and the river was flowing fast that year. There are some dangerous spots on the course. At the town of Ottine several people have drowned(none during the race) at a dam that is damaged and has a strong hydraulic pull including the chief of police for city of Gonzales. Once you get far enough South there are lots of gators too. Its one of those things especially for your first time don't go in trying to win. Just try to finish. That in itself is a huge feat. Have fun and good luck!

Yep, I've ran that dam in a kayak when the river was up. It's a killer if you don't power through the drop. I usually watch the race from my buddies house on the Guad below Cuero. If you do decide to run it, you'll need to make the run a time or two before the race to learn the course. Good luck!

Larry Kendrick the San Marcos Police Chief died several years ago while practicing for the Water Safari at Ottine Dam.

I have several groups of friends that run the race every year, and have done so for the better part of a decade. It took them several years to complete the race, they wrapped their canoes around trees the first few times. No-Doze is your friend during the race.

I was told PD Chief for Gonzales. Was that 2 separate incidents or was I misinformed? It's a scary spot. I know a guy that has run that route probably a hundred times, done the safari a few times and he still got in trouble there a little while back.

Thanks guys for all the info. I will compete in the pre safari races. my father and I used to race. I can only imagine how tired they are at the end. Saftey is also a huge concern of mine. Finishing is definatly my goal. I look at some of those crazy boats how narrow, and light but long and think how do they manuver through rapids without crushing them.

This has been a dream of mine since I got here from northern michigan.

There are very few rapids, most of the San Marcos and Guadalupe is slow water. That means you have to paddle the entire length. The area between Gonzales and Cuero is the worst. You will hit it late at night, there is no access to the river if help is needed, and the mind plays tricks late at night and dark. The entire length you have to be aware of limb lines with old rusty hooks hanging from the trees.

The portage around Gonzales Dam is dangerious. Gonzales has NOT completed their paddling trail portage and what is there now is long and dangerious, especially after dark. Last year a race official that was observing the racers portage around Gonzales slipped and fell on the concrete slope and suffered a severe head injury.

No, no Chief of Police from Gonzales has died at Ottine. At least from drowning.