Rules & Safety

  • All participants are required to sign a waiver of liability. Each contestant under the age of 18 must also have a parent or guardian's signature on the waiver of liability.

  • Anyone paddling solo in the event must be at least 18 years of age on the day of the event for the 17 mile course or at least 10 years of age if part of a tandem team accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. Anyone paddling solo in the 8.5 mile course must be at least 16 years of age on the day of the event. If you want to request that your child paddles tandem with you and is under the age of 10, please contact us. (Note that the parent or legal guardian must sign the liability waiver for the all minors.)

  • Although Federal Law requires children under the age of 13 to wear a USCG-approved PFD while underway in an open vessel on federally controlled waters, Race the Fox officials will require all minors to wear a USCG-approved PFD while participating in the event.

  • Paddlers are NOT allowed to stop on sand/mud bars or the river bank unless there is an emergency.

  • All vessels (including canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards) must have at least one USCG-approved Wearable life jacket for each person on board and sounding device (whistle).

  • General rules of good sportsmanship apply during the event.

  • Pack in Pack Out! Littering of the river or parks is illegal. Paddlers must keep their trash in their canoes/kayaks and dispose of the trash in appropriate bins.

  • All participants agree to appear in any event related media coverage free of charge.

  • 17 mile course participants must reach the Eureka Lock cut off time of 12:30pm or be pulled from the race. The race will officially end exactly at 3 PM on the day of the race or when the last boat has reached the designated finish line or whichever comes first. A team’s participation in this event ends when they have landed at Fred Miller Park before 3 PM on the day of the race OR when they notify race headquarters that they have withdrawn. Teams still on the Fox River after 3 PM on the day of the race are electing to continue independent of the Race The Fox Event.

  • There are no restrictions on the design of the canoe/kayak.

  • The original craft must be paddled from start to finish. Repairs may be made to the craft during the race, but other alterations are not permitted.

  • Any part of the craft (rudders, outriggers, etc.) which will be below the water line during any portion of the race must be "on board" from start to finish. A space must be available on the each side of the canoe/kayak close to the bow on which to affix the official race number.

  • Failure to follow the rules for the event will result in you or your team being pulled pulled from the event or disqualification which will be determined by the Event Judges. This includes towing, wake riding, deflection of wind and "rafting up." However, limited interaction between the competitor race craft, as is the case in most canoe and kayak marathon races, is acceptable. This will be restricted to only wake riding and wind deflection. No towing of race craft is permitted.

  • In formulating the rules that govern this Event, every effort has been made to foresee all situations and problems that may rise, however, officials of the Race The Fox and Fox Valley Performance Paddlers retain the right to change or amend these rules at any time without liability or recourse from any party regardless of the circumstances. Should such changes or amendments be made, every effort will be made to notify all entrants.


  • COVID Precautions: Fox Valley Performance Paddlers requests that all participants follow CDC recommendations of social distancing and hygiene at our event.