The world’s longest nonstop paddling race turned 20 this summer, and the nonprofit that keeps our stretch of the Missouri River clean also happens to be the one making sure its paddlers survive it. The 2025 MR340 ran July 8 through 11, from Kaw Point in Kansas City to the Lewis and Clark Boat House in St. Charles — 340 miles, paddled nonstop, four days straight.
This year, 542 paddlers from 36 states and two countries launched in 353 boats; 272 crossed the finish line. Missouri River Relief has run the race’s safety boat team since 2008 and now hosts the event itself, working with longtime race director Scott Mansker’s outfit, Rivermiles, which still directs day-to-day operations on contract. John Radford and Matt Walters, paddling as “Pedal Maniacs,” took the Governor’s Cup for fastest overall time at 39 hours and 25 minutes. Right behind them was Salli O’Donnell, paddling solo in her boat “10th Life 5353” — her 39-hour, 42-minute finish made her the first woman in MR340 history to top the entire solo division outright, ahead of every male solo paddler in the race.
River Relief marked the milestone this fall by christening a new safety boat in her honor: “Salli Webb” (RR 725), which also honors Ragan Webb, Columbia Public Schools’ elementary science coordinator. It joins a fleet of River Relief boats already named for people who’ve shaped the organization and the river community.
The race doesn’t stop in Rocheport, but it passes right by us — paddlers go by Cooper’s Landing, a popular rest stop for snacks and a break, on their way downstream. That’s our stretch of river, watched over by the same safety boats and the same volunteers who show up here for cleanups the rest of the year. Four exhausting days later, tired paddlers were greeted Friday night in St. Charles with a finish-line party, an awards ceremony, food and live music — 20 years in, and the race that runs past our front yard is still going strong.