For the sixth year in a row, the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Regatta is on its way.
The canoe race will be held downtown, on the Indianapolis Central Canal, with a crowd in excess of 5,000 expected.
Contestants are from the university, with faculty, alumni, staff and students all taking part. This year, 150 teams have entered, totaling some 700 paddlers.
Elizabeth Alexander, who directed the steering committee for this year's Regatta, said she has enjoyed watching the growth of the event in scope and importance, and the way it has brought the college and city together. She is especially happy to see that the Regatta has highlighted the importance of the canal to the life of the city.
The race will start at Fairbanks Hall located at 11th Street, and will continue down the canal to the Walnut Street basin, where the paddlers will turn and go back to the starting point. The two legs together are a half-mile in length. Organizers could work with a banner printing company to devise a fun, colorful banner to mark the starting and finish line.
The race is slated for tomorrow September 20, with the opening ceremonies at 10:00 am. Awards will be given out at 5.30 pm, and visitors can enjoy entertainment, food, music, preliminary heats, and a regatta featuring cardboard boats.
