From Trails to Waterways: Greg Wingo’s Ultra Race Chronicles

In the realm of ultra-long-distance stand-up paddleboarding, Greg Wingo stands as a pioneering force, orchestrating two remarkable events in the USA: the Great Alabama 650 and the Last Paddler Standing. In 2023, these races made waves as two stand-up paddlers conquered the formidable Great Alabama 650 for the first time, marking a historic achievement, while Last Paddler Standing captivated audiences worldwide with a non-stop livestream for over 2 days. Wingo’s passion for endurance sports led him to create races and invent formats that keep pushing boundaries. Looking ahead, he envisions the growth of ultra-distance paddle racing stemming from athletes outside the sport seeking fresh challenges. With an eye on 2024, Wingo anticipates a surge in participants, showcasing the growing trend of ULD SUP Racing and the indomitable spirit of these paddling titans.

Hello Greg. Could you please start by introducing yourself and giving us your background as a sportsman and sport event organizer?

Hello Mat! I’m the race director for Last Paddler Standing and Great Alabama 650. I’ve been organizing the 650 since 2019 and LPS since 2021 through my company ROAM Projects. Personally, I’m an ultrarunner with a couple of 100 mile finishes and some long solo trail runs.

What inspired your decision to focus on organizing ultra-long-distance races? Was there a specific personal or professional motivation that led you to choose this niche within the paddling world?

I think it was a natural evolution from my personal experiences as an endurance athlete. I knew I wanted to create a business focused on outdoor recreation and adventure. A former colleague knew of my background and asked if I’d be interested in creating the 650 and the rest is history!

What unique challenges do you face in planning and executing these two very singular races, and how do you address them?

Well, I think the first and greatest challenge is the course itself. Unlike running where you can create a course almost anywhere, with paddle races you are limited to the water that’s available. And it’s exponentially harder to create a good ultra distance paddle race because it’s hard to find continuous waterways that make sense for a race. Fortunately for the 650, the Alabama Scenic River Trail is an existing waterway that was ideal for a race. Though I’ve modified some sections in order to make it better for a race, for the most part it’s simply the existing trail.

For Last Paddler Standing, I’m looking for a controlled setting. It needs a body of water with as few external factors as possible, like boat traffic, waves, current, etc. So Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL is ideal because it is a closed rowing facility that is perfectly designed for the 3.33 mile loop used during the race. There are other major factors to putting on an ultra distance paddle race but I think the course is always the most important.

I understand you have been involved in sports activities in Europe. How has your international experience influenced your approach to organizing events in the USA and abroad? Are there any cross-cultural elements you incorporate into your events?

Yes, I’ve had some great experiences in Europe personally. I once ran the entire 135-mile circumference of Lake Balaton in Hungary solo, self-supported in winter. That was TOUGH! I also organize trail running tours in the Albanian Alps and Swedish Jämtland each year through my company. The Swedish trip incorporates SUP touring as well. The paddling culture in Europe is vibrant and passionate. I love having European paddlers in both my races, and I plan to become even more involved in the paddling scene there in 2024.

Ready for the Swedish Run & SUP?

As an organizer with a keen understanding of the SUP racing scene, what trends do you foresee in the future of ULD stand-up paddleboarding events? Are there emerging aspects or changes that you believe will shape the landscape of SUP racing in the coming years?

I think the growth of the ultra distance paddle racing scene is actually going to come from outside of the sport. Rather than seeing growth from paddlers in shorter distance races moving to longer events, I think we are going to see more endurance athletes from other sports like ultrarunning, bikepacking, and adventure racing move over to our long races. Established endurance athletes are always looking for sports that will challenge them. They tend to be willing to try something new even if it’s not a sport they are familiar with because they love the challenge.

So I promote my races outside of the paddling world specifically to attract these athletes. I don’t think ultra-race directors in paddling can expect a huge growth from racers that are focused on short or technical races. We need to continue to go after athletes that want an endurance challenge and most of those athletes exist outside of our sport.

Blake Carmichael, winner of Last Paddler Standing 2023

What events have you scheduled for 2024? With the 2024 ICF SUP Worlds being organised in Sarasota, Florida just a few days before and at the same venue as LSP, it sounds like your 2024 Last Paddler Standing is going to be huge… How do you anticipate that?

The 650 is going into its 6th year and we’ve finally had two racers finish it on SUP, John Knippers and Brad Friesen. We should see a few more SUP racers in the race this year as well. Alabama is an amazing place to race. The racers see alligators, sharks, snakes, bears, dolphins, stingrays, eagles, and wild pigs each year. Not to mentioned that the terrain changes drastically throughout. Oh, and it’s super hard. So hopefully we will see more European racers attempt it. I do know Göran Gustavsson is planning to finish it.

With John Knippers, 1st man to complete Great Alabama 650 on SUP

Brad Friesen, the 2nd man to complete Great Alabama 650

As for Last Paddler Standing, I see it continuing to grow with the European ultra-racing scene. I expect more Europe-based racers to do the race in 2024. Having ICF SUP Worlds in Florida is nice but LPS is its own major event now with a huge audience around the world. So I plan to continue to live stream the race nonstop and showcase these incredible athletes who attempt to be the last one standing.

Get ready for those two unique events in 2024:
Great Alabama 650 2024: September 21 – October 1st
Last Paddler Standing 2024: Early December