Every July, more than 500 paddlers push off from Kansas City down 340 miles of massive Missouri River current, paddling day and night across the state in one of the world’s longest nonstop river races. This is the MR 340, an event of endurance, suffering and transformation. From solo racers chasing records to 10-person canoes grinding it out over four brutal days, every paddler faces the same river. In this episode, we sit down with Kate Mansker, a racer from the very first MR 340 in 2006 who still holds course records, and Steve Schnarr, the race director who steers the chaos behind the scenes. Together, they chart the evolution of the race, the legends it’s created, and what it takes to avoid the Reaper.