<body><div>Editor’s Note: Interested in free Thursday updates from Northern Michigan? Sign up for the UP NORTH VOICE MAILMIO — A race created to celebrate the Au Sable River and introduce new paddlers to canoe racing will return to Mio for another year.The 23rd annual Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge will be held Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30, at Oscoda County Park. The 2026 event will pay tribute to longtime race organizer Peggy Smutek.Smutek and other local volunteers started the race in the early 2000s after former Oscoda County resident Linda Barnes suggested holding another canoe race on the river. Smutek believed the event could promote Mio, support the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon and encourage more people to try competitive canoe racing.Smutek led the event for about 20 years before turning it over to Roscommon canoe racer Danny Medina in 2023. Medina had competed in the First Dam race more than a dozen times and said it helped launch his own marathon racing career. The event is presented by the Oscoda County Canoe Racing Association and Michigan Canoe Racing Association<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0qfqtG_1EcHl7le00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0qfqtG_1EcHl7le00" width="335" height="202" ><figcaption>Photo by Crystal Brabant</figcaption></figure>The race also reflects the Smutek family’s long connection to canoe racing. Peggy and her husband, Frank Smutek, were inducted into the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon Hall of Fame in 2010. Frank had one of the longest racing careers in marathon history, while Peggy supported the sport with her time, resources and generations of family involvement. Au Sable River Canoe Marathon Hall of FameThe C2 race will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday. Teams will start with the sterns of their canoes at Mio Dam, complete a buoy loop on Mio Pond, carry their canoes around the dam and continue to the finish at McKinley Bridge.Same-day registration for the C2 race will be held from 7:30-8:30 a.m. A prerace briefing will begin at 8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $30 per team for C2 E-1 and $20 per team for C2 E-2.A mentor race for young paddlers will follow the C2 races at Oscoda County Park. Awards will also be presented at the park.The C1 race will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday. Racers will complete a loop on Mio Pond, carry their canoes around the dam and finish at Comins Flats.Same-day registration for the C1 race will be held from 8-8:30 a.m. The entry fee is $15 per canoe. Awards will be presented at Oscoda County Park after the race.Spectators can watch the start at 9 a.m. from Oscoda County Park Amphitheater, Mio Pond, Tooty Boat Launch or Mio Dam. Racers are expected to reach the Michigan Department of Transportation viewing area at 9:10 a.m., Comins Flats at 10 a.m. and McKinley Bridge at 10:45 a.m.Oscoda County Park is located at 1110 Jay Smith Drive in Mio.Sponsors and donorsThe Smutek Family • Mio Family Dentistry • Kirtland Agency • Up North Voice.com • AuSable Chiropractic • Whaley Steel Corp. • Kristi McGregor, PLLC • McGregor Athletic Complex • Cliff’s Fairview Garage • Mio Pizza Shop • Big Creek Bump and Paint • Kilmek Sales and Service • Esch’s Septic Service • Handrich Trucking • Fairview Food Market • Mio Parts City • Oscoda County Abstract • Luzerne Hardware • The Warehouse • Luzerne Express • Woodhaven Log &amp; Lumber • Hinchman Acres • Life Salon and Spa • Deer Camp Coffee • Riverhouse Kitchen and Cocktails • Mio Saloon • AuSable River Outfitters • Max and Bella’s SmokehouseEditor’s Note: Interested in free Thursday updates from Northern Michigan? Sign up for the UP NORTH VOICE MAIL</div></body>

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MIO — A race created to celebrate the Au Sable River and introduce new paddlers to canoe racing will return to Mio for another year. The 23rd annual Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge will be held Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30, at Oscoda County Park. The 2026 event will pay tribute to longtime race organizer Peggy Smutek.

Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge returns Aug. 29-30

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MIO — A race created to celebrate the Au Sable River and introduce new paddlers to canoe racing will return to Mio for another year. The 23rd annual Mio Fi

Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge returns Aug. 29-30

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