Missouri River Freedom Race goes on despite heat, rain

David Shelton, front, and Alex Gottman, rear, get a little help from Chris Thurman, right, as they paddle their tandem boat to Jefferson City's Noren Access shore after completing the 63-mile Missouri River Freedom Race on Saturday.
David Shelton, front, and Alex Gottman, rear, get a little help from Chris Thurman, right, as they paddle their tandem boat to Jefferson City's Noren Access shore after completing the 63-mile Missouri River Freedom Race on Saturday.

The heat and low river levels may have slowed participants' finishing times in the first-ever Missouri River Freedom Race, but more than 100 still competed in the 63-mile race that started in Lamine and ended in Jefferson City.

Joe Mann, race organizer, said about 25 dropped out because of the heat.

The first finishers, Mann's team, completed the race by 10:26 a.m.; at 4 p.m. when it began to rain, racers were still finishing.