ALLAGASH, Maine — Distance and rain did not keep paddlers from as far away as New Hampshire from paddling in Sunday’s inaugural 15-mile canoe race in Allagash.
“We had a blast,” said co-organizer Lisa Feener. “It was everything we wished it could be.”
The inaugural Tylor Kelly Allagash Dash, created by Jake and Lisa Feener, was race No. 11 in the 2025 Maine Canoe & Kayak Racing Organization’s downriver points series and the first canoe race in the Allagash area in nearly two decades.
There were 39 paddlers in the mass start race, including legends Terry Wescott and Bob Martin who chose the Allagash Dash over a competing race on the Union River at Grand Lake Dam to support the Feeners.
The two Mainers have been padding the state’s waters for over half a century and together for more than 40 years. Their Sunday time was 1:57:21. In addition to Maine canoe racing notoriety, Wescott is famed for his first-place finish in the grueling Yukon 1000, the world’s longest canoe race.
MaCKRO veterans J.D. Burke and Brady Burke, of Bangor, had the fastest boat at 1:48:57. In other races this year they were the first boat to cross in both the Kenduskeag and Meduxnekeag races.
Two weeks ago after the Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race J.D. Burke had not yet decided if he would race the 15 miles to St. Francis.
Paddler Kiel Bisson, got the Tylor Kelly Memorial Award for traveling nearly 400 miles from Milton Mills, New Hampshire for Sunday’s race.
Following several days of rain, water levels were good for the Class II whitewater race that runs from the bridge in Allagash to the confluence of the Allagash and St. John Rivers and finishes at Hart’s Landing in St. Francis off Route 161.
“Lisa and I do the races down south in Bangor, and others and I always felt we should have a race up here,” Jake said. “We have beautiful rivers up here and the races mark the coming of spring.”
Three Class II rapids along the route — the Pelletier, Golden and Rankin — were fun, Lisa said
And only two boats, one at Pelletier and one at Rankin, capsized in the rapids and had to dump the water out of their boats, she added.
“It was really fun, not technical, but fun, to enjoy together,” she said.
Starting on Saturday, organizers were watching the weather and worried about a predicted hard rain for the race’s 10 a.m. start. But the rain held back for about 30 minutes into the race before downpouring for the remainder of the two-to-three hour trip to St. Francis.
The race’s namesake, Tylor Wade Kelly, was born in 1937 near where the Little Black River pours into the St. John River. His life began at a time where water travel was still essential to existence, Lisa said, adding that the river is still important to the people of Allagash.
Kelly was competitive, racing just about anything — including wooden canoes with wooden paddles he made himself, she added.
Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of Kelly’s death, and family and friends were at the race in support of Kelly’s long history in the community and for the other paddlers, Lisa said.
Sisters Darlene Kelly Dumond and Lisa Kelly Powell paddled in memory of their father, Tylor Kelly. They each wore the bandanas their father always wore while racing, and a paddle etched with his words “you can’t be afraid to try.”
Following the race, the snowmobile club hosted a spaghetti dinner in town and it was packed, Lisa said.
“Everyone was dry and eating,” she said.
Door prizes included a $500 gift of heating oil from Dead River, products from Mainely Coffee, dog antler chews from Gracie’s Moose Antler Co. and hand-made quilts.
An event like this takes a lot of volunteer work to happen, but volunteers in this small community in Allagash are not hard to find, Lisa said.
“These people love to help. Our snowmobile club had over 10 people on hand to cook and serve the racers and community that came to the event lunch. There were another 20 volunteers responsible for set up, registration, timing, safety,” she said. “This dedication to the community is what made this event such a success. “
The Feeners are already thinking about next year’s race and are considering making it a two-day event with a short course with more rapids on Saturday and the 15-miler on Sunday.
“We are committed to this race,” Lisa said.
Fort Kent, Saint Francis and Allagash fire departments and an Allagash Wilderness Waterway ranger were on hand to assure paddler safety.
The results:
OC2 Men’s Rec: Jake Feener & Mike Erskine 1:51:45; Kale O’Leary & Chad Robertson 1:52:49, Bob Leland & Patrick Wright 2:01:50; Jesse Powell & Kiel Bisson 2:05:31; Tiger Martin & Bob Plourde 2:13:18; Mitchell Daigle & Cody Daigle 2:21:26; Kelly Thibodeau & Ryan Kelly 2:26:46; Chad Marquis & Robert McBreairty 2:41:03
OC2 Men’s Race: Brady Burke & JD Burke 1:48:57; Bob Martin and Terry Wescott 1:57:21
OC1 Men’s Rec: Dan Swallow 2:00:11, Carter Barthelman 2:25:05
OC2 Mix Race: Mark & Allison Risinger 1:51:17, Jack Burke and Madison Ginn 1:56:19
OC2 Mix Rec: Ethan & Megan Lamb 2:01:44; William Green & Jordan Ramos 2:07:16, Lauren and Matt Taggett 2:09:20
OC2 Women’s Rec: Lisa Feener & Tiffany Bates 2:14:32, Nicole Marquis & Michelle Plourde 2:41:49
K1 Short: Nicole Mullins 2:13:20
