After its cancellation in 2020, the Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Canoe Race will return this year, however this time with limited participation.
The race, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 4, will be limited to Big Island paddlers only, race officials announced Friday.
In a press release, officials said due to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases, the scaling back of the 2021 race is based on an abundance of caution, public health concerns and ensuring the future integrity of the race in the years to come.
“The decision to limit participation weighs heavy on all our hearts as we come to terms with respecting public health concerns,” Kai Opua Canoe Club president Doug Vera Cruz said. “To paddlers around the world, we ask you to stay safe, healthy and for your patience and understanding.”
The Queen Liliuokalani Long Distance Canoe Race, hosted by Kai Opua Canoe Club, has been welcoming paddlers from around the world to Kailua-Kona since its first race in 1971.
The race, which covers 18 miles between Kailua Bay and Honaunau Bay, normally sees more than 2,000 paddlers compete every Labor Day weekend.
The race was named in honor of the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Queen Liliuokalani, and the first race fell on the Queen’s birthday, Sept. 2.
For more information on the race, go to www.qlcanoerace.com.