Key race info
The course
Eight stages. Eight host destinations. One absolute eight-day deadline. The route is still the challenge; the gathering points just give everyone a place to compare damage.
TGARR launches at Raspberry Island in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and finishes eight timed stages later at Cooper Riverside Park in Mobile, Alabama. The points between them are where each stage clock stops—and the next bad idea begins.
Download TGARR_Course.kmz ↓Planning estimates, not guarantees
2027 Stage Plan
Miles, locks and run-and-lock hours are planning figures. They exclude fuel and rest stops, and lock queues, weather, traffic, water conditions and slower boats can make a day much longer.
| Stage | Start | Finish | Miles | Locks | Plan time | Host / logistics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Sat | St. Paul, MN | Trempealeau, WI | 126 | 5 | ~9.5 hr | Marina and road access; fuel nearby. End above Lock 6. |
| 2 · Sun | Trempealeau, WI | Bellevue, IA | 158 | 6 | ~11.7 hr | Municipal ramp at Lock 12; Bob’s Marine service/store nearby. |
| 3 · Mon | Bellevue, IA | Burlington, IA | 152 | 6 | ~11.4 hr | Full marina, fuel, provisions and road access. |
| 4 · Tue | Burlington, IA | Grafton, IL | 186 | 5 | ~12.2 hr | Full marina and last reliable fuel before the long lower-river gap. |
| 5 · Wed | Grafton, IL | Paducah, KY | 264 | 2 | ~11.3 hr | Free-flowing river; confirm mid-run fuel and arrive with reserve. |
| 6 · Thu | Paducah, KY | Iuka, MS (Pickwick) | 200 | 2 | ~11.7 hr | Full marina and support access; fuel fully for Stage 7. |
| 7 · Fri | Iuka, MS | Pickensville, AL | 130 | 5 | ~10.2 hr | Remote tie-up/anchorage with road access but no fuel dock. |
| 8 · Sat | Pickensville, AL | Cooper Riverside Park, Mobile | 250 | 3 | ~12.2 hr | Fuel at Demopolis; timed finish downtown. Dog River is post-finish. |
Host stops, not hotel service
Every completed stage ends at a defined host destination. Most provide some combination of fuel, docks, ramps, provisions and support-vehicle access. Pickensville is the exception: plan for a remote tie-up with no fuel dock. The stop creates a daily gathering point. Your boat, crew and logistics remain your problem.
Confirm before you count on it
Fuel hours and availability change. Commercial traffic gets priority at locks. Confirm host access, fuel docks, tie-up conditions and lock status before the race and again while under way. Carry the reserve your plan requires.
Finish first. Haul out second.
The official Stage 8 clock stops at Cooper Riverside Park in downtown Mobile, at the head of the bay. Dog River Marina is the separate race village and haul-out location, reached after finishing by an untimed protected-water run.
Live boat positions and standings appear on the tracker once the race is under way.
Go to the tracker