ARNOLD, MO – On a shockingly warm day with the added difficulty of up to 17 mph headwinds, the 2021 edition of the Meramec Marathon may have started nearly four months after it was supposed to have due to the pandemic, but it sure felt like we could have been back in the early summer months.
Paddlers on the “Marathon” course began near Valley Park, Mo. “Short Course” competitors sprinted from near Arnold. All racers ended at the Flamm City take out in Arnold. Thien Le (kayak) was the overall marathon winner for the third consecutive year in a row, while KT Appleton (kayak) won for the second consecutive year on the women’s side. The top tandem was the duo of Scott and Dotty Merritt (kayak).
On the short course, Hanna Ruge (kayak) was the top overall and top female.
Marathon Overall Winner, Thien Le, on the Meramec 
Champion Le, at the finish. 
Women’s Marathon winner, KT Appleton 
Marathon Tandem winners, Dotty and Scott Merritt (at right). 2018 champion Joe Sartori (at left) 
Scenes from the Meramec River 
Scenes from the Meramec River 
Scenes from the Meramec River 
Scenes from the Meramec River
Results
Photo Album – All photos by Jacob Trust – NOW LIVE