ORANGE — When Somersworth, New Hampshire resident Shane MacDowell crossed the 2022 River Rat Race finish line in second place, he wondered if next year would be his time to claim the first-place title.

Beneath sunny skies on Saturday, MacDowell and his partner, Ryan Zaveral of Unadilla, New York, did just that. The pair made the 5.2-mile sprint along the Millers River from Athol to Orange ahead of 182 other canoes.

“This is the best way to start out the race season,” MacDowell said.

With the River Rat Race being among the earliest competitive races each season, MacDowell said it generates a lot of excitement for canoeing in the months to come. The 58th annual race, which followed cancellations in 2020 and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, attracted thousands of people to the North Quabbin region between paddlers and onlookers who line the banks of the Millers River and seek out prime viewing locations on bridges along the race route. The fun also continues with accompanying festivities, such as the Big Cheese 5K and the North Quabbin Community Coalition’s Sober Block Party.

MacDowell is a full-time cross-country skiing coach who enjoys competing in canoe races in his spare time. Still, because of their distance apart, MacDowell said he and Zaveral, a competitive racer who manufactures paddles, did not get a chance to train together ahead of the big day. While they said it is good to train with your partner to be able to work cohesively, in their case, it did not prove necessary to take home the title.

“This is like a 30-minute interval,” Zaveral said jokingly.

With the River Rat Race title in hand for 2023, what’s next for MacDowell and Zaveral? The two said they’re excited to compete in the 120-mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon that’s held annually in Grayling, Michigan in July. With the world of competitive canoe racing being a tight-knit community, they noted paddlers often pick a partner and continue to compete together after meeting at other races.

Following on the pair’s heels, so to speak, were Maria Schilling, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Christina Wilson, of Durham, New Hampshire, the first-place women’s team. Schilling and Wilson finished in the top 10 overall.

Schilling, who has been racing for eight years, described the River Rat Race as “really exciting,” producing an adrenaline rush that makes it feel “like a video game.” Wilson has raced for 25 years.

Although the two, in canoe No. 150, started near the back of the pack, they navigated their way around competitors to make it to the front of the group. When asked to share advice they have for other interested competitors, Schilling and Wilson recommended, “Look for the holes” and “Cross your fingers and hope for good luck.”

Schilling and Wilson, who practiced together in Minnesota ahead of Saturday’s River Rat Race, said the canoeing community keeps them coming back. They mentioned they also enjoyed seeing spectators line the banks of the Millers River and nearby bridges along the way.

“Canoeing is so technical, there are so many aspects to it,” Wilson added. “It makes it an amazing sport all around.”

The two also said they were amazed by the race’s organizational aspect. The event, which started as a bar bet in 1964, is organized and overseen by the Athol Lions Club.

“This year, we’re set up better as far as where we need manpower and where we need to get things done,” event coordinator Jeanette McIntosh said in an interview as race preparations entered their final week. McIntosh emphasized a goal of attracting more paddlers. The largest race, held in 1980, had 421 canoes.

When reached by phone on Sunday, McIntosh said Saturday’s race “went very well” and was “very safe.” She mentioned four people who fell in the Millers River were evaluated by EMS personnel and were all uninjured.

Marcia Rothwell and Beth Sobiloff, hosts of the “Two Grannies on the Road” television and YouTube show who came to town for an Athol-focused episode, were the final pair in the group of paddlers, making the 5.2-mile journey in about an hour and a half, McIntosh said.

“They were extremely happy as they were loading up to head back to eastern Mass,” McIntosh said.

Some of the canoes losing their numbers created delays in finalizing results and pushed back Saturday’s awards ceremony, which was originally set for 5 p.m.

“It made it a little more complicated and we’ll have to work on something else for next year,” McIntosh said. “Normally we start the day after River Rat planning for next year. Easter gave us a day off, so we’ll start on Monday.

“I can’t thank all the volunteers enough,” she added. “It takes such a big team to put on such great projects.”

The full results of this year’s River Rat Race will be posted on the Athol Orange River Rat Race Facebook page in the coming days as the River Rat Race Committee finalizes placements.

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

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