“I bet you can’t paddle to the lake!”
According to Phil Weiler, the AuSable River Canoe Marathon was born with those words and a friendly wager.
It’s now been 73 years since the inaugural canoe race, and what was once a friendly competition between a group of friends has become an international event, drawing professional canoe marathon paddlers from across North America.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/08/international-canoe-race-michigan/