Fa'avae too face untold tests in Great Alabama 650
Fresh from a record-breaking victory in the Yukon 1000, New Zealand endurance athlete Nathan Fa’avae is heading back to North America to take on another of the world’s great ultra-distance paddling challenges.
The seven-time Adventure Racing World Champion will start the Great Alabama 650, a 650-mile (1,046km) non-stop race across the US state of Alabama, from Weiss Lake in the Appalachian foothills to Fort Morgan on the Gulf of Mexico, 3-16 October, 2026.
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It is the longest paddle race in the United States and gives competitors a maximum of 10 days to complete a course incorporating lakes, flowing rivers, whitewater, nine dam portages, the vast Mobile-Tensaw Delta and, finally, the exposed waters of Mobile Bay.
Fa’avae is hoping to complete it in around half that time.
The challenge comes just over two months after Fa’avae and fellow New Zealander Dr Sophie Hart won the Yukon 1000, covering the 1,000-mile wilderness course through Canada and Alaska in 5 days, 11 hours and 3 minutes and breaking the race record by approximately 45 minutes.
Alabama was initially floated as another race the pair could tackle together.
“Sophie wasn’t particularly keen on doing the 650 this year, which is understandable after the Yukon,” said Fa’avae.
“But she hasn’t ruled it out. She basically said I should go and race it and, if I come back saying it’s a must-do event, then she might consider it in the future.
“So this time I’m on my own.”
From the Appalachian foothills to the Gulf of Mexico
First held in 2019, the Great Alabama 650 follows the 650-mile core of the Alabama Scenic River Trail through the length of the state.
The diversity of the course is one of the features that attracted Fa’avae.
Competitors begin on Weiss Lake in northeast Alabama before travelling through the Coosa and Alabama river systems. Farther south they enter the remote swamps and waterways of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta before eventually emerging into Mobile Bay for the final journey to Fort Morgan on the Gulf Coast.
Along the way there are nine dam portages, sections of whitewater, large lakes, powerful rivers, tidal currents and potentially rough open water.
Then there are some distinctly non-New Zealand challenges.
Temperatures can be hot, humidity high, thunderstorms are possible and alligators inhabit parts of the waterways competitors will travel through.
“The Yukon and Alabama are almost opposites in some respects,” Fa’avae said.
“The Yukon was remote wilderness, cold water and a tandem boat. Alabama will be hot and humid, there are dams, boat traffic, tides, a big coastal section and alligators - and I’ll be solo.
“That unknown is a big part of the appeal.”
Rookie takes on Alabama specialists
Fa’avae will arrive at the start line as an Alabama 650 rookie, racing against paddlers with considerably more experience of both the event and its waterways.
He believes, however, that more than three decades of expedition adventure racing should transfer well to the challenge.
“I’m very aware that I’m going into their backyard,” Fa’avae said.
“There are seasoned competitors who understand this race, the rivers, the portages and how the whole event works. That experience is valuable over 650 miles.
“But a lot of what determines the outcome of a race like this is familiar territory for me - sleep deprivation, nutrition, navigation, managing your body, problem solving and continuing to make good decisions after several days of racing.
“I’m confident I can be competitive.”
Unlike conventional stage races, the clock effectively keeps running day and night. There is no compulsory overnight sleep period, although the race includes 4 hours 45 minutes of mandatory downtime spread across its dam portages.
That turns sleep into a tactical decision.
Fa’avae expects to paddle throughout the day and deep into the night, using short sleeps when required rather than following a normal day-night cycle.
Chasing some extraordinary records with his first goal to reach Fort Morgan.
Beyond that, there are some tantalising numbers on the clock.
The male solo record is 5 days, 19 hours and 9 minutes, set by West Hansen.
The female solo record is significantly faster - Salli O’Donnell's remarkable 4 days, 22 hours and 39 minutes.
The tandem and outright course record belongs to Paul Cox and Joe Mann at 4 days, 17 hours and 2 minutes.
Remarkably, all three records were established in 2021.
There is an important reason.
Heavy rain that year produced unusually high and fast river flows. Cox said after the race that the rivers were noticeably faster because of the rain, contributing significantly to their pace through the course.
The conditions were described at the time as close to ideal for fast racing.
That makes the record book as much a contest with the river as with previous competitors.
“I'll be racing to finish the course first,” Fa’avae said.
“With something this long there are so many things that can happen, particularly when I've never seen the course before.
“But I'll certainly know where I am relative to the records.
“The interesting thing is that they were all set in the same high-water year. You can't control the river levels, weather or tides, so we'll see what Alabama gives us.
“If I'm having a really good race and the conditions are favourable, I'll be trying to break as many records as I can on the way.”
To match the outright record, Fa’avae would need to cover an average of approximately 225 kilometres every 24 hours, including sleep and stops, for almost five consecutive days.
