Competitive Paddlers In The 2026 Great Alabama 650 Presented By Alabama Scenic River Trail Prepare To Start The Race At Weiss Lake In Cherokee County, Alabama — Competitors in the 2026 Great Alabama 650 took off from Weiss Lake in Cherokee County, Alabama, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (ASRT)

Tough news for paddling fans: the 2026 Great Alabama 650 has ended early after a great start on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, at Weiss Lake.

With a potential hurricane brewing in the Gulf, organizers announced around 8:30 PM on Tuesday, October 6th that racers would stop at their next scheduled portages along the course, southwest of Montgomery.

Weather forecasters predict the tropical storm will become Hurricane Isaias and impact the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida this weekend, which includes the southern portion of the AL650 course that was to end at Fort Morgan for all competitors by Tuesday, Oct. 13.

“Based on numerous conversations with the National Weather Service and anticipated disruption to infrastructure, the difficult but necessary decision had to be made in an effort to keep all racers, crew, staff and volunteers safe.”
_{– AL650 Race Director Greg Wingo via Facebook}

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2026 AL650 ends early: quick guide

What is the AL650?

Tandem Paddlers Lillian Nelson &Amp; Izzy Nicolier In The Final Stretch Of The Great Alabama 650 Paddle Race In 2025 — Birmingham native Lillian Nelson and Izzy Nicolie, now both living in Alaska, returned to compete in the 2026 Great Alabama 650 after completing last year’s race in about 9 days. (ASRT)

Alabama Scenic River Trail launched the AL650 in 2019. As the state’s official paddling resource, the ASRT organization encourages people to recognize, appreciate and enjoy Alabama’s exceptional waters.

The AL650 kicks off annually in Northeast Alabama at Weiss Lake and ends at Fort Morgan Public Boat Launch, covering 18 counties and including sections of the Coosa, Alabama, Mobile, Tensaw, Apalachee and Blakely rivers.

Competitors in three divisions—solo male, solo female and tandem—have up to 10 days to complete the race and may switch between kayaks, canoes or stand-up paddleboards.

How was the 2026 AL650 going?

Competitive Paddlers In The 2026 Great Alabama 650 Presented By Alabama Scenic River Trail Set Out On The Water — Competitors take off on the water for the 2026 Great Alabama 650. (ASRT)

For the 2026 AL650, 26 competitors took off from Weiss Lake on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. When we checked in with organizers on Monday, the race leaders were making up unprecedented time, with some on pace to complete the 650-mile endurance competition as soon as this Thursday or Friday.

This year, racers from across the U.S., England, Germany, Estonia, Canada and New Zealand were vying for the top prize.

Who was leading the 2026 AL650 before it ended early?

Competitive Paddler And 2025 Al650 Male Solo Winner Chris Thomas Of Arizona Signs A Paddle For A Young Fan Named Fin During An Overnight Stop Of The 2026 Al650 — From top left, clockwise, solo male paddler Chris Thomas, solo female paddler Salli O’Donnell and tandem paddlers Bobby Johnson and Matt Taylor were all in the lead of their respective categories when the race ended early on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, due to impending safety concerns with a potential hurricane forming in the Gulf. O’Donnell, Johnson and Taylor are pictured at their Wetumpka stop, accepting commemorative race paddles, presented by Ashleigh Jackson of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority in (ASRT)

Competitive Paddler And 2025 Great Alabama 650 Solo Female Winner Salli O'Donnell Of Florida Accepts A Commemorative Paddle At The Wetumpka Stop Of The 2026 Al 650 — From top left, clockwise, solo male paddler Chris Thomas, solo female paddler Salli O’Donnell and tandem paddlers Bobby Johnson and Matt Taylor were all in the lead of their respective categories when the race ended early on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, due to impending safety concerns with a potential hurricane forming in the Gulf. O’Donnell, Johnson and Taylor are pictured at their Wetumpka stop, accepting commemorative race paddles, presented by Ashleigh Jackson of the Elmore County Economic Development Authority in (ASRT)

With the announcement Tuesday that the 2026 AL650 would end early, leaders were:

Tandem: 2025 tandem winners and overall champions Bobby Johnson of Florida and Matt Taylor of Alabama
Solo male: 2025 solo male winner Christopher Thomas of Arizona
Solo female: 2025 solo female winner Salli O’Donnell of Florida

You can view the final leaderboard and times when the race concluded on the AL650 landing page of the Alabama Scenic River Trail website.

“It is truly heartbreaking to have to make this call, but we simply can’t risk waiting and putting anyone in danger. We thank you for your continued support of everyone involved with the race, especially our racers and crews.”
_{– AL650 Race Director Greg Wingo via Facebook}

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