<div>dfleet@mihomepaper.comGrayling — Nate Widing recalled the pact with his cousin Al Widing Jr., who recently teamed up for the 120 mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon.“If one of us has a heart attack at Foote Dam don’t stop, just stuff the other in the front of the canoe and paddle across the finish,” said Nate, a Holly native. “We want to cross that finish line just one more time.”On July 25, the Widing team were one of the 118 canoeists in the 77th annual 2025 Au Sable River Canoe Marathon. The Grayling to Oscoda race begins at night with a LeMans-style running start to the river in downtown Grayling. The ultra-competitive race includes professional paddlers from the United States, Canada and worldwide.The pair of veteran marathon canoeists traversed Foote Dam, the sixth and final portage during the grueling marathon, and successfully crossed the finish line in 18 hours 10 minutes and 29 seconds, good for 89th place in a field of 115 racers.While completing the all night canoe race is an amazing accomplishment for any paddler, the pair endured a host of additional challenges.“We trained very hard for this marathon, but I’m 64 and Al’s 72 years old,” said Nate. “We pushed through and made it. When I got out of the canoe in Oscoda at the finish line I said, ‘I’d never do this again.’”While early race records are sketchy Nate and Al are among the oldest ever to compete in the marathon which was first held in 1947.“For Al and I it was a lifetime of paddling together,” said Nate. “We needed to do this race. Our father’s had done this and completed the race when they were 76 and 80 years old.”Their longevity in canoe racing is well grounded in Widing family lore.Al Widing, Sr., is a Michigan legend in the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon making the trek 41 times between 1955 and 2014. His last race was completed in 2014 at 89 years old.The family tradition on the Au Sable River lives on with Nate racing his fifth Au Sable River marathon while Al completed his 12th.“We grew up in the sport,” said Nate. “Al and I had about 270 hours together in the canoe in preparation for this race, including two trips to Florida in the winter. Much of the time we practice in the Shiawassee River except when it freezes.”A typical practice run is from Linden to Shiatown in Shiawassee County.“It was a hard marathon this year,” said Nate. “Al fractured his ankle the Friday before the marathon. He took the cast off, tapped it up and went for it. We trotted through all six of the portages. While it’s intense we really look forward to the portages, since the pain is so intense from sitting in that canoe for hours at a time. You have a tendency to stiffen up.”Canoe marathon racers, like the Widings utilize support teams at bridges or other pre-planned locations for needed supplies, he said. From fluids, to nutrition to dry gear the stations help racers avoid fatigue key in an 18 hour race.If age, a broken foot and high humidity were not enough of a challenge during the race, the upper sections of the AuSable River was encased in heavy fog during the night. As a result, visibility was significantly restricted, key in a wilderness river. While some racers depend on GPS, the Widings used landmarks to assist with navigation.“There are thousands of details along the river like a dock or cabin that you look for but can’t when visibility is limited,” he said. “Even when canoeists practice on the race sections of the AuSable if you can’t recognize landmarks on shore or in the river it’s very difficult.”Natural obstructions included submerged and overhanging trees made it very difficult even for the most seasoned racer, he added.“Just remember, going straight is best since straight is fast,” he said.Al paddled in the stern of the 28 pound, 18 foot carbon fiber canoe often tweaking the direction provided by Nate in the bow.“A lot of time we run without lights, when it gets narrow or looking for short cuts the light goes on,” he said. “Your eyes adjust to the darkness over time.”After ten hours, 9 minutes and 57 seconds the Widing’s arrived at Alcona Dam about the halfway mark of the marathon.“It kind of fell apart for us then,” he said. “We got passed by 35 teams from Alcona to the finish line. The river gets wider in the last six hours or so which includes some lake paddling.”The wider bodies of water are are often associated with the Consumers Energy’s six hydroelectric dams in the river. The energy company has been a sponsor of the race for 75 years.“The end is always emotional,” he said. “It takes a solid core from the bottom to the top to paddle. As you get older it’s hard to keep your muscle mass.”As a lifelong canoeist Nate remains a strong supporter of the sport and recently founded Memory Layne Global Missions, a local non-profit dedicated to serving those in need worldwide. Each spring they host the Memory Layne Memorial canoe race. https://memorylayneglobalmissions.org/“We want people to love canoeing,” he said. “It’s our way of giving back.”From Grayling to Oscoda: ‘Just one more time’ added by David Fleet on August 4, 2025</div>

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Grayling — Nate Widing recalled the pact with his cousin Al Widing Jr., who recently teamed up for the 120 mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon. “If one of us has a heart attack at Foote Dam don’t stop, just stuff the other in the front of the canoe and paddle across the finish,” said Nate, a Holly native. “We want to cross that finish line just one more time.”

From Grayling to Oscoda: ‘Just one more time’

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Grayling — Nate Widing recalled the pact with his cousin Al Widing Jr., who recently teamed up for the 120 mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon. “If one of us

From Grayling to Oscoda: ‘Just one more time’

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