Thanks to Kathryn Schledwitz for sharing photos from Alki with news that the Seattle Grind canoe races are under way this morning. The women/mixed long-course racers are paddling from Alki to Blake Island and back right now.

The Lake Union-based Seattle Outrigger Canoe Club organizes the races. This year they’re running a short course too, 4 miles along Alki, scheduled for a 2:30 pm run, after the 12:30 pm long-course men’s race.

P.S. A different group of paddlers will be racing from Alki later this month – the Great Cross-Sound Race on August 22nd.