Northwestern State University Crew hosts the Marathon Championships, a unique 26-mile rowing regatta on beautiful Cane River in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Nearly 400 competitors arrive in Natchitoches to participate. This fall, the 16th annual Marathon will be held on Saturday, November 12th, 2005.

What is it? Who Competes?

The Marathon Championships is one of very few continuous 26-mile rowing regattas anywhere. The record time for this event is 2:34. The average time it takes to complete the course is 3 to 4 hours. The Marathon begins near the Melrose Plantation and ends at Front Street in Natchitoches. Cane River is closed to all but regatta boats on the day of the Marathon. Following the regatta, in the spirit of Southern hospitality, there is a gumbo cookout that "gets better every year."

How do I register?

We have recently decided to have Regatta Central handle all of our marathon registration. Please refer to thier website at www.regattacentral.com for any information on our regatta. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact any of our directors at (318) 357-5921. Remember, registration materials are due to NSU Crew by ...TBA.

If you are an adventurous rower or coach who would like to try a challenge a little out of the ordinary and test the limits of rowing endurance, come to the Marathon Championships!

2004 Marathon results and photos

2005 Official Marathon Sponsors: