133 paddlers, rowers and peddlers gathered in Tacoma this May for the 2026 SEVENTY48 race, an endurance event that challenges participants to travel roughly 70 miles from Tacoma to Port Townsend in less than 48 hours using only human power. The race began on May 29 at Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway and concluded along the waterfront in Port Townsend.
Organized by the Northwest Maritime Center, SEVENTY48 has become one of Washington’s most recognizable endurance races since its debut in 2018. The event was originally created as a companion race to the well-known Race to Alaska, offering athletes an opportunity to test their endurance and navigation skills on Puget Sound before taking on larger challenges.
What makes SEVENTY48 stand out is its prohibition of the use of motors, support crews and sails, leaving racers to rely on their own human strength. Participants may paddle, row or pedal their vessels. Competitors travel through busy waterways and changing weather conditions while navigating a route that includes two major checkpoints at Owen Beach and the Port Townsend Ship Canal.
The race attracts a wide variety of competitors, from endurance athletes to recreational boaters looking for a challenge. Boats range from kayaks and rowing shells to stand-up paddleboards and large team canoes.
For competitors like Mike C. of the team “Anderson Island Inmates,” the race offers more than just a test of endurance. A returning participant who competed solo in 2025 under the team name “Worst Case Scenario,” Mike said the event combines a love of the outdoors with a strong sense of community.
Mike C. of the team “Anderson Island Inmates” was a competitor of the 2026 run. He also competed in last year’s race as a solo racer under the team name “Worst Case Scenario.”
“Open water rowing connects me to the Puget Sound,” Mike said. “The tides, weather and wildlife make each outing unique. Rowing in the Seventy48 adds that camaraderie with more than 100 teams all working towards the same goal, Port Townsend.”
This year’s race once again showcased the growing popularity of human-powered endurance sports in the Pacific Northwest. While the event tests physical fitness, organizers emphasize that SEVENTY48 is equally a mental challenge. Participants must manage fatigue, changing tides and long hours on the water while remaining self-sufficient throughout the journey.
The overnight portion of the race is often one of its most memorable experiences. Mike described the unique atmosphere racers encounter after dark as hundreds of competitors continue their journey north through Puget Sound.
“After the sunsets, seeing the long line of green and red navigation lights stretching back as far as the eye can see reassures you that you are not alone,” he said. “Often many of the larger boats sing throughout the night, and with sound traveling so far it is pleasant to listen to.”
Mike noted that many participants return year after year, creating a supportive community around the event. “There is a lot of support from people in the community,” he said. “There is hot coffee and chocolate starting at 4 a.m. on Bainbridge Island. Closer to the finish line near Port Townsend, supporters lower donuts 60 feet down from a bridge for racers as they pass underneath.”
As SEVENTY48 continues to grow, the race remains a celebration of endurance, resilience and the power of human effort. The finish line in Port Townsend represents more than the end of a race but also the completion of a challenge of incredible physical effort.
