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An Exciting Race

On the banks, spectators get as close to the water as possible to see the passing canoeists, who seem so tiny in the middle of the wide river and high cliffs.

Appartenance Mauricie Société d’histoire régionale, Le Nouvelliste Fonds

In the aftermath of the 1960 edition, journalists reported an unprecedented crowd, estimated at several tens of thousands of people, who had piled up along the Saint-Maurice River to watch the competitors pass by, even in places that were harder to reach. There was certainly lots of excitement during the races.

At the 27th edition of the race, there was only a 19-second difference between first and second place, after more than fourteen hours of racing over three days.