A four-man team of paddlers will launch an ambitious attempt on June 23 to set a new speed record on the Missouri River, taking on the full length of the river in a continuous ultra-endurance effort.

The challenge: travel the entire course of the Missouri River — from its headwaters in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis — as fast as possible in a 23-foot canoe. At 2,341 miles, the Missouri River is the longest river in North America, edging the Mississippi by a single mile.

The team will attempt to break the longstanding “Fastest Known Paddle” set in 1980 by legendary paddlers Verlen Kruger and Steve Landick: 33 days, 18 hours, and 45 minutes. That mark remains a formidable benchmark, requiring not only elite physical conditioning, but also precise logistics, strategic navigation, and the ability to endure long days and nights on the water.

The effort brings together experienced endurance paddlers, a coordinated ground support crew, and a plan built around river conditions, dam portages, and changing weather patterns.

Scott Miller, 50, of Minneapolis, serves as team captain. He previously led a team that set a Guinness World Record for the fastest paddle down the Mississippi River in 2023. He is joined by Scott Duffus, 69, of Owatonna; Curt Leitz, 55, of Duluth; and Lada Zednik, 42, of Rockford.

The support crew includes many people from the Kansas City area affiliated with Missouri River Relief and the Missouri River 340 race.

“We’re not just trying to go fast — we’re trying to do everything right for thousands of miles,” said Miller. “The Missouri is unpredictable. Wind, heat, and nearly 1,000 miles of reservoirs with little to no current all stack up.”

The team will paddle in rotating shifts to maintain near-continuous forward progress. A dedicated support crew — using both motorboats and shore vehicles — will assist at key access points along the river, providing food, equipment, safety oversight, and real-time adjustments as conditions evolve.

The Missouri River presents a uniquely complex challenge. In addition to its length, paddlers must contend with large reservoirs, flowing river sections, wind-driven waves, commercial barge traffic, and multiple dam portages. Summer conditions can include extreme heat, strong headwinds, and rapidly changing water levels.

The attempt will be tracked in real time, with GPS tracking, updates, and progress reports available via the team’s Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as their website. A film crew from Wilderness Mindset will document the journey.

Their itinerary puts them in Kansas City between July 13 and 17. Beyond the record attempt, the project aims to highlight the Missouri River as a world-class paddling route, featuring landscapes such as the Gates of the Mountains , the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument , and the Missouri National Recreational River. The effort also recognizes the river as the homeland of many Native nations and as a historic route explored by Lewis and Clark from 1804 to 1806 (see Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail – U.S. National Park Service).

Top Image: Members of the Mississippi Speed Record team, including Scott Miller, paddle along the Mississippi River in May 2023. The team set a Guinness World Record for the fastest paddle down the Mississippi River in 2023. Miller is part of the team attempting the Missouri River Speed Record in June. (Photo by Mark Handley, Courtesy Mississippi Speed Record)