Open App
3 hours
Gladwin City Park
Free Tickets Available
Fri, 23 May, 2025 at 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm (GMT-04:00)
Gladwin City Park
240 City Park St, Gladwin, United States
The 2025 Gladwin County River Race of Two Cities celebrates outdoor recreation and the natural resources that define Gladwin County. Highlighting years of conservation efforts by the Gladwin Conservation District and local partners, this event will showcase the revitalization of the Cedar River and the ways that outdoor recreation can bring people together!
This event is made possible by a number of local partnerships and the Gladwin County community. We welcome spectators and participants far and wide to share in the festivities and experience Gladwin County!
Come be a part of the fun and compete in the first-ever Cedar River Canoe/Kayak Marathon!
Info: The River Race of Two Cities Kickoff Celebration will host vendors, live music with Coleman Road, a silent auction, conservation education with Little Forks Conservancy and Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, concessions fundraiser with Gladwin High School Travel Club, crafts & activities for all ages, and more!
Info: The 1 mile Kickoff Fun Run/Walk/Float will start at Gladwin North Park and follow the Trail of Two Cities to end at Gladwin City Park to join the River Race of Two Cities Celebration! This Fun/Run/Float is free to participate with the option to rent a kayak on-site with Cedar River Outfitters.
Info: The Sunset/Glowstick Float begins at Gladwin City Park and follows the Cedar River for about 1.5 miles, ending at Ridley Trailhead. Glowsticks will be provided and kayaks can be rented on-site with Cedar River Outfitters while they last. Transportation back to the start will be available.
Info: Race Day Celebrations at Gladwin City Park will include a breakfast fundraiser with Gladwin Troop 779 Boy Scouts, local organizations and vendors, crafts & activites for all ages, and more!
Info: In honor of Memorial Day, the local American Legion will be leading us in an Honor Guard Ceremony at Gladwin City Park to begin the official River Race of Two Cities. The National Anthem will be played on violin by Mariah Hewitt.
Info: Our first racers in the River Race of Two Cities will begin at 9am with our tandem racers. Racers will start the race with an 80 yard dash, canoe/kayak in tow, through Gladwin City Park and down to the Cedar River!
Info: Our next wave of racers in the River Race of Two Cities will begin by 10am with our solo race class. Just like the Tandem class, racers will start the race with an 80 yard dash, canoe/kayak in tow, through Gladwin City Park and down to the Cedar River!
Info: With all of the racers on the Cedar, the celebrations at Gladwin City Park will pack up and move to Beaverton's Ross Lake Park where the Canoe/Kayak Marathon will end. Ross Lake Park will be the life of the party with the Beaverton Farmers Market, food, Clean Boats Clean Waters Boat Wash, crafts & activities for all ages, and plenty of local partners to put on a great festival!
Info: The Buckeye Trailhead will serve as the halfway point for the racers and our primary spectator location for the race! The Gladwin County Chamber of Commerce is the sponsor for the spectator location and will be present to help spectators cheer on our racers as they head down to Ross Lake Park!
Info: Our next main spectator location will be hosted at the Cedar River Chapel at 2766 River Rd, Beaverton, MI. Spectators can enjoy the Chapel's outdoor area as they watch their racers come closer to the final stretch of the marathon!
Info: If 12.5 miles is a bit too far for you, compete in the 0.5 mile Ross Lake Kayak Sprints! This is a time trial race to see who can record the best time in an out-and-back race on the lake! Compete and get a River Race of Two Cities tshirt with a chance to end the day on the podium!
Info: After the Marathon racers have completed their trek and our time-trials champions have been determined, they will all be honored at the River Race of Two Cities Awards Ceremony and take their place on the podium and receive custom trophies to prove their achievement!
Info: Ross Lake Park will begin to quiet down but the festivities don't end there! Check out Downtown Beaverton for the after-race block party featuring local businesses and plenty of celebrations to be had!
Also check out other Sports events in Gladwin, Music events in Gladwin.
Tickets for Gladwin County River Race of Two Cities can be booked here.
| Ticket type | Ticket price |
|---|---|
| River Race of Two Cities General Attendance | Free |
We have gathered all the information for you in one convenient spot, but please keep in mind that these are subject to change.We do our best to keep everything updated, but something might be out of sync. For the latest updates, always check the official event details by clicking the "Find Tickets" button.
