When the last athlete crosses the finish line on Sunday, July 31, 2016 at the Moloka’i-2-O’ahu Paddleboard World Championships (M2O), two decades of outstanding performances and personal accomplishment will be recorded by a lineage of the world’s strongest paddleboarders. Presented by Kona Longboard Island Lager, the 2016 event welcomes hundreds of athletes from 16 countries who will test their navigational skill and athletic strength across 32-miles of open ocean in the disciplines of stand-up (SUP) and prone paddleboarding.
The elite athlete field of men and women set to lead the charge into the history books is made up of a deep field in the prone division, representing the race’s roots before SUP gained popularity. Head-to-head battles by current and former champions highlight both the men’s and women’s SUP divisions.
The race starts for the prone and SUP division begin at 7:30 and 8 a.m. HST respectively on July 31. The top finishers are anticipated to begin crossing the finish line located at Maunalua Bay Beach Park at approximately 11:30 a.m. depending on weather and water conditions. A fan expo will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for spectators.
Race fans can visit molokai2oahu.com to tune into Race Day Live, featuring athlete tracking by DotVision, receive updates from the Molokai Channel and view finisher results. The event’s official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds also will provide live updates as the race unfolds.
View the latest video from M2O to get a glimpse of what hundreds of athletes will experience on race day, Titled The Arrival, the video depicts the strength and emotion found in every paddler as they challenge 32-mile open ocean crossing between the start line on island of Molokai and the finish on Oahu.
M2O valued partners include: Kona Brewing Company, Surftech, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Dukes, Patagonia, Garmin, Waterman’s Applied Science, Futures, Blue Rush, Dr. Danger, Futures, WND & WVS, Dot Vision, SUP Think Tank, Ocean Paddler, BARK, NSP, Kaenon, RE Energy & Kona Deep.
About the Molokai-2-Oahu Paddleboard World Championships
Founded in 1997, M2O is an open-ocean endurance paddleboard challenge, featuring racers in both the prone and stand-up (SUP) divisions. Connecting the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu, the 32-mile race crosses the Ka’iwi Channel, also known as the Moloka’i Channel. Men and women from more than 20 countries face challenging conditions as they navigate the fastest downwind route over one of the deepest channels in the world. Top athletes typically complete the crossing in less than five hours, riding mid-channel waves that can crest more than 12 feet and carry paddlers hundreds of meters. The race starts on Kaluakoi Beach on the north shore of Moloka’i and finishes in Maunalua Bay on the south shore of O’ahu. M2O has grown from a grassroots challenge for the legendary lifeguards and watermen of O’ahu to the premiere event in the sport of paddleboarding. The annual race is a deeply personal experience, challenging every paddler’s physical and mental toughness. Every finisher experiences an individual championship.
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