Paddlers take to the Mississippi for annual Firecracker Race

By Editor | August 5, 2025 |

Paddlers will be gathering on the Mississippi River this weekend for the Mississippi River Water Trail’s annual Firecracker Race, a 15-mile race from Grafton to Alton. (Submitted Photo)

By Steven Spencer

Paddlers will be gathering on the Mississippi River this weekend for the Mississippi River Water Trail’s annual Firecracker Race.
The 15-mile race from Grafton to Alton follows one of the area’s most scenic routes, the Great River Road, and features multiple classes for solo and tandem paddlers as well as a class for standup paddleboarding.
Craig Heaton, Race Director with the Mississippi River Water Trail, said the Firecracker Race is quite unique and can be quite a challenge for paddlers.
“There’s a lot of racing but not too much on the Mississippi River itself. That’s one of the reasons why I was really motivated to do this. This section from Grafton to Alton is very scenic so it’s a great place to have a race,” Heaton said. “Folks come from a lot of surrounding states. They’ll travel pretty far. I’ve had folks come from Arkansas and Iowa. A lot from Missouri and Illinois of course, but several come from surrounding states to race.”
The race originally began a few years ago as a lap race at Ellis Bay at the Riverlands.
Now in its third year as a downriver race, the event has attracted tons of paddlers to the area with 65 participating last year.
“Just about every race out there is a downriver race, so we were unusual,” Heaton said. “As scenic as the Mississippi is, it only made sense to move it downriver next to the Great River Road.”
The stretch between Grafton and Alton also brings some challenges that other paddle races might not usually encounter, barge traffic. Just because it’s race day doesn’t mean the usual river activities in the area take a break.
“Unlike a lot of other races out there, we do have increased barge traffic and the river is wider, so there can be other hazards, but we put together a really good safety plan. We have a lot of safety boaters that go with the racers the whole way. We make it really safe, and the Corps of Engineers comes out with a motorboat and follows the racers,” Heaton said. “You are with some very skilled rescue folks that know how to get you back in your boat, and with the Corps of Engineers, you can feel pretty safe the whole way going down.”
Although there are some hazards and difficulties along the route, that doesn’t prevent paddlers from getting out on the water. Including the standup paddle boarders who compete just as hard as those in a traditional kayak or canoe.
“These guys will amaze you. They’re incredibly skilled,” Heaton said. “They are very serious racers. In some cases, they’re so good at it they’ll beat the kayaks and the canoes.”
Heaton said that Mississippi River Water Trail is trying to get people to look at their relationship with the river differently and get more people out on the river.
“This race is really catching on with the racing community. We had 65 racers last year and a variety of different boats. Every year it’s increasing. There’s really well-established races on the Missouri that get over 100 racers and there’s no reason we can’t get to that point,” he said. “The community, I think, has been growing the last few years. We’re getting a lot more paddlers.”
In addition to the Firecracker Race on Saturday, Aug. 9, Mississippi River Water Trail will also be holding the Great River Rendezvous on Saturday, Sept. 20, in conjunction with the Mississippi Earthtones Festival.
This will be the second year for the event, which gathered 80 paddlers on the river last year.
More information on the Mississippi Water Trail and registration for different events can be found online at www.mississippiwatertrail.org.