A team of four canoe paddlers who traveled the length of the Mississippi River in fewer than 17 days got the news they anticipated Monday morning:
Their almost-unimaginable test of endurance was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest to travel — more than 2,300 miles from the headwaters of northern Minnesota to mile marker zero in the Gulf of Mexico — by a team.
Leader Scott Miller of Minneapolis, Judson Steinback, Paul Cox and Wally Werderich needed to wait for ice-out across big waters in northern Minnesota before launching their 23-foot, customized vessel May 10. They hit the gulf 16 days, 20 hours and 16 minutes later, dealing with sleep deprivation, sore bodies and blisters, and near disaster early on. Near Davenport, Iowa, while waiting for a slot at Lock and Dam No. 15, the four came dangerously close to a dam in fast current before one of their support boats moved in to assist them to safety.
Dubbed the Mississippi Speed Record, the team eclipsed the mark of another Minnesotan-led foursome. In 2021, KJ Millhone of Minnetonka, his daughter Casey and two other paddlers ran the river in 17 days, 19 hours and 46 minutes.
Coincidentally, that was the year of Miller's first attempt. He and three others started later than Millhone's Mile Marker Zero team but were closing on a possible record when they had to abandon their canoe in a volatile storm that blew through the gulf region.
After success on a second attempt in late May, Miller said the team was confident that their record would stand after Guinness combed through GPS data, video, photos, daily logs, and witness statements. In Guinness terms, they were the "fastest to row," a description that includes their means, by paddle.
"Honestly, I do think now that it is Guinness-official, I realized I was under some stress," Miller said Tuesday. "I feel like now I can fully enjoy it."
While their emphasis was speed, Miller said the long view was instrumental. He thinks of Mississippi Speed Record more like a five-year project — the time it took to plan, rethink plans, and even rebound from an unsuccessful try in 2021.
"It was great to have this big dream, this big goal rather than feel guilty [about asking people to help]. If you inspire people and they bring their expertise, it is fun for them.
"It is on that teamwork that the record was set," Miller said.
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