I just completed my first canoe marathon. I won. Well, not really. I entered the C-1 Cruiser class and finished eighth out of eight. I knew I was at a disadvantage because my canoe is a much older design than the other canoes in the C-1 Cruiser class. At the awards presentation, I found out that the officials decided my canoe was old enough to be in a its own class. I finished in about the time I thought I would. I made a few mistakes that cost me several minutes. I cut some turns I shouldn't have, and probably should have cut more in other places. I saw the boat in front of me go one way around an island and started to follow, then realized the other way would be faster. Switching from using a bike bottle to using a jug with a hose will let me keep paddling while I drink. I raced well for my first C-1 marathon. It was fun. I think that I will do much better next time.