Team Aims for New Speed Record for Paddling the Entire 2,300-mile Length of the River

St. Paul, MN – May 9, 2023 – Mississippi Speed Record, a team of four canoeists, aims to set off from Lake Itasca, Minnesota on Wednesday, May 10 in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time to paddle the length of the Mississippi River. The original record of 56 days was set in 1937. The current record of 17 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes was set in 2021.

As part of its effort, the team is partnering with www.1Mississippi.org to bring attention to challenges facing the river and to encourage people to become River Citizens. “Our goal is to set a new record, but our mission is to raise awareness of the need to protect and restore the Mississippi River Basin,” said Scott Miller, Mississippi Speed Record team captain.

“The river is our lifeline; it is a source of drinking water for 18 million people and provides critical habitat to numerous species of plants, birds, fish and other wildlife. It is a vital source of economic and community activities and an iconic part of America’s history that deserves our protection,” said Kelly McGinnis, Mississippi River Network Executive Director.

Learn more about the Mississippi Speed Record team and the Guinness World Record attempt by visiting www.mississippispeedrecord.com or the Mississippi Speed Record Facebook page.

The Mississippi River Network is a coalition of nearly 70 non-profit organizations located in the 10 states the river flows through. A list of members and additional information can be found at www.1Mississippi.org.

Mississippi Speed Record – Overview

The four-paddler Mississippi Speed Record team will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest time down the entire 2,300-mile length of the Mississippi River – from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana – in May 2023. The launch of the attempt is planned for the morning of Wednesday, May 10.

The Team’s Goal is to break the world record and raise awareness for river conservation.

To this end, Mississippi Speed Record is partnering with the Mississippi River Network, a coalition of 69 non-profit advocacy organizations in the 10 states along the River, to leverage media and social media coverage of the record attempt to raise awareness of and support for river conservation/preservation/restoration/recreation activities and opportunities. Visit www.1mississippiriver.org to learn how to become a River Citizen and more.

The Guinness World Record

The first time the record was set was in 1937 when Joe Tagg, Gerald Capers and Charles Saunders paddled from Itasca to New Orleans in 56 days. In 1978, the record was set for a second time by a British Royal Air Force team at 42 days, 5 hours and some minutes. Bob Bradford and Clark Eid set the record at 18 days, 4 hours and 51 minutes in 2003. There were three unsuccessful attempts in 2014, 2017 and 2018. In 2021 there was a new record set by team MMZero. They finished in 17 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes.

The Mississippi Speed Record Team

Scott Miller of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the leader of team “Mississippi Speed Record”. He has paddled over 8,000 miles in his life. In 2005 he paddled from the Twin Cities to Hudson Bay, and in 2020 he competed in the Missouri River 340 and Great Alabama 650 races. Scott first got the idea to try and set this world record in 2018, and has been training and planning for it ever since. He was the leader of a 2020 attempt that held a 7-hour lead over record pace but was thwarted by a storm near New Orleans. Scott works as a registered nurse at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and as a massage therapist at his shop called Body Repair. He is married and lives with his wife Heidi and cats Tuxie and Cirrus just a few blocks from the Mississippi River in south Minneapolis. He is the founder and race director for Two Paddles Canoe and Kayak Races and the Mississippi River Paddle Weekend which has races and tours of various lengths on the river in Minnesota just north of the Twin Cities.

Paul Cox of Atlanta, Georgia, has 20+ years of experience in ultra-distance racing. He got his start in multi-sport adventure races, his teams winning or placing well in many multiple-day races over the years. While he enjoys trail running, orienteering and mountain biking, he finds the most happiness in a kayak or canoe bouncing down whitewater or gliding through a remote section of river. A National Outdoor Leadership School course on the Green River in Utah nearly 25 years ago changed his life and encouraged him to fill it full of adventures, particularly on the water. Over the years, he’s completed several of the world’s longest and toughest paddling races including the Texas Water Safari, Missouri River 340, Yukon River Quest, Yukon 1000 and the Great Alabama 650. Early top paddling performances included a third- place finish in the tandem division of the Yukon River Quest and a second-place finish in the Texas Water Safari mixed tandem division. Most recently, Paul won the Great Alabama 650 twice and set the course record with Mississippi Speed Record teammate Joe Mann. Paul, a digital media editor and operations manager, has also been a kayak & recreational outdoor skills instructor and still enjoys trail running and mountain biking in the cold months. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children — a middle-school-age daughter and a son in college. You can follow more of his adventures at www.atlantaadventuredad.com.

Judson Steinback developed his love of paddling when he was a child, fishing with his family from row boats, canoes, and kayaks. At the age of 21, he participated in his first canoeing, biking and running triathlon and fell in love with the sport of competitive paddling. He and his father, Jeff, bought their first racing style canoe shortly thereafter. Since then, Judson has competed in and won numerous paddling races throughout the Midwest. He also spends hundreds of hours annually training on the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries near his hometown of La Crosse, WI. Judson is currently the Master’s Class Men’s and Mixed USCA C-2 National Champion. He has also competed in International Professional Canoe Races, placing 14th in the Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge with Mississippi Speed Record teammate Joe Mann and 29th (1st in the Rookie Class) in the AuSable River Canoe Marathon with Dan Goltz. Judson lives with his partner Daniela Montañez and two daughters, Julia and Jayda, and loves to explore, travel, adventure with them. When not training and racing canoes, you can find Judson fly fishing on local trout and bass streams, drinking lattes at his favorite cafes, running projects for his landscaping company, or schlepping his daughters to their activities.

Wally Werderich of Yorkville, Illinois has led a life that is never too far away from a river or a paddle. Learning to canoe through the Boy Scouts when he was seven years old, Wally has had a lifetime of river adventures. From the serenity of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area to traversing the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River, there is always an adventure with Wally on the water. When Wally was a teenager, the canoe racing bug bit him. Since then, Wally has competed in multiple United States Canoe Association National Championships and many of the largest canoe races throughout the country. Some of the finishes that Wally is most proud of are, his two top three finishes in the Missouri River 340, his two class wins in the Texas Water Safari, his three class wins and top three finishes in the Tour De Teche, his class win in the Everglades Challenge, his two United States Canoe Association stock C1 national championships, and his AuSable River Canoe Marathon finish. That said, Wally is most proud of the fact that he has spread his love of paddling with his family. If Wally is blessed with being able to set the Mississippi River speed record, he fully expects that one day his record will be re- broken by either his son, his daughter, or both of them. Wally’s wife Belem and his Mom and Dad are also often with Wally on his canoe adventures. His whole family competes with the St. Charles, Canoe Club (IL). While not confirmed, it is rumored that Wally is a member of the legendary Los Humungos Paddleos masked luchador canoe racing team. If asked, Wally will tell you that he makes his living carrying Los Humungos Paddleos’ canoe paddles and washing their capes.

The May 2023 Attempt

The team is scheduled to launch their attempt from the Headwaters at Lake Itasca on May 10. In addition to individual daily training, the team has had numerous multi-day training sessions on several sections of the river from Minnesota to Tennessee.

Strategies for Success

Four paddlers in the canoe, allowing at least 1 paddler to be resting at any given time. In addition, safety support boats will escort the team from St. Paul, Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico and handle communications with barge traffic and commercial vessels, and with Lock and Dam operations.

Follow Along

Follow the team on their attempt at www.mississippispeedrecord.com or on the

Mississippi Speed Record Facebook page.

Below is an approximate schedule of the team’s intended time schedule and locations (will depend on canoe speed, weather conditions, water levels, etc.). Click on the link below to track the team’s progress and see their exact location once they are underway:

https://share.garmin.com/Mississippispeedrecord

Projected Daily Locations

Day 1: Itasca State Park, MN; Bemidji, MN; Cass Lake, MN Day 2: Grand Rapids, MN

Day 3: Palisade, MN; Aitkin, MN

Day 4: Brainerd, MN; Little Falls, MN; Sartell, MN; St. Cloud, MN

Day 5: Clearwater, MN; Becker, MN; Monticello, MN; Elk River, MN; Anoka, MN; Twin Cities; Hastings, MN; Prescott, WI; Welch, MN

Day 6: Red Wing, MN; Lake City, MN; Wabasha, MN; Alma, WI; Fountain City, WI; Winona, MN; LaCrosse, WI

Day 7: Genoa, WI; Prairie Du Chien, WI; Guttenberg, IA; Dubuque, IA,

Day 8: Belleuve, IA; Savanna, IL; Fulton, IL; Clinton, IA; Camanche, IA; Quad Cities Day 9: Muscatine, IA; New Boston, IL; Burlington, IA; Fort Madison, IA; Nauvoo, IL; Keoukuk, IA

Day 10: Warsaw, IL; Canton, MO; Quincy, IL; Hannibal, MO; Louisiana, MO; Clarksville, MO; Hamburg, IL

Day 11: Alton, IL; St. Louis, MO

Day 12: Ste. Genevieve, MO; Chester, IL; Cape Girardeau, MO; Cairo, IL; Wickliffe, KY Day 13: Columbus, KY; Hickman, KY; New Madrid, MO; Tiptonville, TN; Caruthersville, MO

Day 14: Memphis, TN; Tunica, MS; Helena-West Helena, AR; Friars Point, MS Day 15: Greenville, MS; Mayersville, MS; Lake Providence, LA

Day 16: Vicksburg, MS; Natchez, MS; Vidalia, LA

Day 17: Baton Rouge, LA; Morrisonville, LA; St. Gabriel, LA; Donaldsonville, LA Day 18: New Orleans, LA; Venice, LA; Head of Passes Light, Gulf of Mexico