Nearly 17 days after it left the Mississippi River headwaters in northern Minnesota, a canoe team of four intent on paddling the length of the river the fastest unofficially set the new Guinness world record overnight Friday when it reached the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
Covering more than 2,300 miles, the Mississippi Speed Record team was live on its Facebook page for the final push about 2:43 a.m. Saturday to mile marker zero on the river at Head of Passes. The team ran the river in 16 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes, besting the mark set in 2021 by another Minnesota-based team, MM Zero, in 17 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes.
“What an exciting 2 weeks this has been … Only seems like yesterday they started their adventure! If this doesn’t motivate the adventurer in each of us, not sure what will,” wrote one commenter among hundreds following along online.
Scott Miller of Minneapolis, who led the team, attempted the same feat with a different crew in 2021 and had to abort the adventure in a storm within about 150 miles of the finish.
“The team is very excited,” said Todd Foster, the team’s lead adviser, on Saturday morning.
Foster said the team “banked” time early in the attempt and that enabled the paddlers to get solid rest in spots — and even ride out bad weather if it materialized like in 2021.
Guinness World Records will vet GPS data, photos, witness statements and more information to determine if the team’s mark stands, he said.
Regardless, Foster relished the moment, noting many factors come into play in such a test of endurance. When the team left May 10, ice wasn’t out yet on Lake Winnibigoshish but had cleared by the time it reached the waters.
“They absolutely don’t discount their skill as paddlers, their robust support team, but there is some luck involved, too, with water levels, ice out, and weather,” he added.