Event organiser Shannon O’Brien said around 250 paddlers were registered, including top athletes from New Zealand and the United States.
The successful Dungalayin Mileka team model, which sees at risk Indigenous youth paddling in double kayaks with a Victoria Police member, will have 85 young participants across three separate teams.
A group of Indigenous students from Echuca College will paddle with local police, national parks staff, and elders on day three of the five-day event, Mr O’Brien said.
NSW and Victoria Police will comprise the largest teams, rowing with Indigenous youth from regional areas across both states as part of the event’s ‘Connecting River, People and Country’ ethos, Mr O’Brien said.
Fundraising has risen this year despite contestant numbers being slightly lower than pre-COVID events, Mr O’Brien said, with last year’s event raising over $87,000 for charities.
“People who are paddling are raising much more money, which is brilliant,” he said.
In the seven years the Massive Murray Paddle has been under its current management, it has raised close to $1.1m for various charities.
Rising insurance costs and fees associated with parks in Victoria have made organising the Massive Murray Paddle, now in its 55th year, more challenging, Mr O’Brien said.
But support from businesses along the Murray, including a grant from Moama Bowling Club, has helped to continue making the event possible.
“It makes the world of difference. They’re just awesome people at that club,” Mr O’Brien said.
While the marathon will still include Tocumwal and Picnic Point as usual, watering in the Murray Valley National Park between the two has prompted a route change.
Competitiors will complete the Yarrawonga to Tocumwal leg twice, with day three then running from Picnic Point to Moama.
They will then continue on to Torrumbarry the following morning.
“The best day of all is coming into Moama beach,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We’re going to have some of the local Indigenous elders do their welcoming and smoking ceremony into the beach. It’s just lovely – day three is the most welcoming.”
Mr O’Brien said the race would finish in Koondrook this year for the first time, following route changes in the previous two years due to flooding and extreme weather.
“The community in Koondrook are super excited. They've never had a race like this finish at their town, and same with Gunbower,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Everybody will stay the night in that region. Hopefully, the pubs will be full, the restaurants full, and the camping ground is full.”
The 95km Gunbower to Koondrook leg marks the final stretch of the 415km Murray River Paddle course, which wraps up on Friday, November 22.
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