Tacoma’s Thea Foss will be full of human-powered vessels Friday for start of 70-mile race

A commotion is expected on Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway on Friday evening.

That’s when more than 198 people on kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, rowboats and other human-powered craft will begin a race from Tacoma to Port Townsend.

Participants will have 48 hours to completed the 70-mile course. The rules of the SEVENTY48 sea race: “no motors, no sails, no support teams.”

It’s the second year of the competition.

There will be good viewing options throughout the Commencement Bay area as the racers head out, according to a news release, including:

▪ The start line at the Dock Street Marina, behind the Museum of Glass on the Thea Foss Waterway.

▪ Parks and restaurants along the Ruston Way waterfront.

▪ Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park, where racers have to check in at a boat not far from shore.

This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 11:30 AM.