Kayak Marathon Racing is a demanding sport requiring feats of balance, strength, endurance, strategy and perseverance. In the US, racing takes place at the local and regional and national levels sponsored through the ACA (American Canoe Association) USCA (United States Canoe Association) and USACK (USA Canoe and Kayak). Local and regional races may be 3-6 miles (5-10 kilometers). National races are 20 kilometers (12 miles). The upcoming ICF Marathon races in Valladolid, Spain will be held on a 36 kilometer lap course (~22 miles). Kayak marathon is an astonishingly complex sport requiring the ability to sprint at the start, maintain an 8 mph race pace and put in burst of speed (burns) to pass competitors. Races often have several portages where the racer must jump from the boat, pick it up on the fly and sprint as much as a mile while carrying it and the paddle usually while barefoot. The successful racer must have deep knowledge of tactics, devine the most intense thoughts of others in the race, and be able to wash hang (draft) in packs of as many as 20 boats all with less than a paddle's length apart.

Races may be separated into classes depending on type of boat, number and age of paddlers and gender, but often local races are free-for-all with women and men of all ages competing against each other but typically single person boats (K1, C1) do not compete against multi's (K2, C2, K4...) Generally boats are separated into canoe and kayak classifications. Kayaks may be separated into classes depending on whether they are sea kayaks or ICF (International Canoe Federation) raceboats. Sea Kayaks vary in length and may be further grouped by length ranges for fairer competition. At the world level ICF boats predominate. These boats are built to specific length standards, but current rules allow the width to be as narrow as the paddler can support. A typical ICF raceboat is 17 long but may be 14" wide at the waterline and weigh under 20lbs. These boats do not sit upright when placed in the water - it is the job of the paddle to keep them from tipping over. Picture managing this while fighting for position in a pack of 20 boats along a winding course for nearly 3 hours.

Elizabeth O'Connor began her racing career in a sea kayak in November 2000, participating in New Jersey's Delaware and Raritan Canal race where she was the first woman across the finish line. After only this one regional race she entered the USCA National marathon competition at Lake Lanier, GA in 2001 astonishing everyone as she won the title of top woman's sea kayak racer and took third in the ICF class. Participating in many regional races honed her skills, but by the 2002 Nationals other racers had her in their sites. Still she managed to defend her title in the Sea Kayak marathon and took second place in the ICF class in the races at Dartmouth College on the Connecticut River. By now Danny Broadhurst was her coach and they set the ICF World Cup as the long range goal. Late this spring, again at Lake Lanier, GA she handily defeated her only US competition to win a place on the US Team headed for the ICF World Cup in Spain this September.