Hup All Night

Downtown streets are packed, show cars fill both lanes Food vendors cater to all The park is packed with crafts of all sorts From Spikes to across the old falls Tarps and blankets spread early on the river bank Claiming spots to get the best view Two lanes are blocked on the business loop So that spectators can get through As evening approaches the river bank fills With fans from all over the place Five blocks away another crowd appears To watch as the teams take their space Racers chat with fans who check out their canoes These are craft that are light and sleek It's a race for the strong both body and soul It's not for the feeble or weak Emcees work the crowd, one giant pep rally Thousands of fans show their support It's the AwSawble River Canoe Marathon The worlds toughest spectator sport At nine p m the canon roars it signals the start of the race Athletes with canoes run for the river At a crazy mind boggling pace Cheers from the fans are heard across town As paddlers run sprinting past A couple hundred athletes and their canoes It's too bad they might not all last Downstream they race, one hundred twenty miles to go As spectators leap ahead Diehard fans gather throughout the night With no intention of going to bed Stephan bridge, McMasters, Parmalee, Camp 10 Then to Myo to cross that first dam Around three a m the first teams arrive There's still hundreds of cheering fans Five more dams to cross for the amazing athletes How they make it I don't understand Speed and endurance, thousands of strokes It's a spectacle that's truly grand As they paddle through the night growing so weary Fueled by feeders to keep their minds clear The spectators tire, it's been a long night And a few just had too many beers Men and women young and old paddle all night long At least 14 hours, it's quite the sight From Grayling to Oscoda Hup All Night