2009 Rotten Egg Race – Results, Pictures, Handicap System

The 3rd Rotten Egg Race on March 22, 2009 gathered only two paddlers, Rob Bean and me, but we had a very intense fun and a great day on the river. We raced 9 miles upstream on the South Platte River from Kersey to Evans Riverside Park to meet the joint paddling club downriver trip.

Rob started at 7:08. I followed him 7 minutes later. We paddled the same boats as last year: Spencer X-treme canoe and Thunderbolt-X kayak. However, Rob switched from a single blade to a wing paddle and made a tremendous improvement – 45 minutes! I was a couple minutes slower than last year. We had a very low water, 317 cfs at Kersey, in comparison to 850 cfs last year.

Together with times I am also posting distance traveled by each racer (if we can believe our GPS). Certainly, water reading and choosing the course between sandbars and river legs have impact on the race time. In the recent race, Rob paddled 0.5 mile shorter distance than last year and only 0.05 mile more than me.

Records of my speed (blue) and heart rate (red) during the upstream race and the downstream relaxed cruising.

For the next year race I would like to implement a handicap system similar to one used in the San Marcos Solo race in Texas. It is based on the best time in the race course of each paddler. The slowest paddler starts first and is followed by others with delays according to their best times. For newcomers we would have to somehow estimate their expected time. Here are the best times of participants in the 2007-2009 Rotten Egg Races to be used in the handicap system.

So, according to this system Rob would start first at 7:00, followed by Eric and John at 7:09, and by me at 7:31. It makes the start a little bit more complicated, but more exciting finish with all boats closer together.

If there is still water in the river, the next race will be the South Platte River Marathon on April 25, 2009, 30+ miles downriver from Wildcat on St Vrain Creek to Kuner. We can try to test the handicap system there.

During the race I had my Pentax Optio W30 camera mounted on a kayak front deck with the sticky pod and set in an interval mode to shoot every 30 seconds. I collected 480 pictures which will be used for animated movie similar to those from the 2008 Wyoming Outback Challenge or 2007 Colorado River Race. Right now, just 7 selected snapshots below with some comments from the race course.

07:48. Passing Rob after 33 minutes of paddling. He started 7 minutes before me. Sun is still not showing over the river. ~40F

08:53. Approaching the Plumb Ditch Dam. Nice, sunny and warm.

08:56. Above the Plumb Ditch Dam. At least the low water makes portages easier.

09:54. Next portage – the Patterson Ditch Dam. It is getting a little too hot.

10:41. Finishing at Evans Riverside Park. ~70F?

10:47. Nearly 60 boats are launching for a downriver trip to Kersey and Kuner.

11:05. Rob finishing his race.