Race the Narrows returns

The Mastic Beach Conservancy will host the fourth annual Race the Narrows on Saturday, July 11, bringing kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders, and nature lovers together on the waters of Long Island’s South Shore for a day of community and conservation.

The event begins at 2 Violet Road, Mastic Beach, with check-in from 8 to 9 a.m. and the race starting at 9 a.m. Rain or shine (Severe weather date: Sunday, July 12).

All proceeds support the Conservancy’s mission to preserve more than six miles of publicly accessible waterfront parkland around the Mastic Peninsula—one of the last stretches of open, publicly owned coastline on Long Island.

WHAT’S NEW IN 2026:
GUIDED NATURE PADDLE

This year’s Race the Narrows introduces a brand-new addition designed for those who’d rather explore than race: the Guided Nature Paddle. The 60-minute guided outing winds around Cranberry Dock and into Pattersquash Creek, offering paddlers an immersive look at local wildlife, marine ecosystems, and the Conservancy’s trail planning vision for the peninsula. No experience necessary. Loaner kayaks are available for free on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Nature Paddle leaves at 8:30 a.m.—a half hour before the race begins—giving families, beginners, and seasoned paddlers who simply want a quieter morning on the water a front-row seat to some of the most ecologically rich habitat on Long Island’s South Shore.

“We built Race the Narrows to give people a reason to get on the water, and once they’re out there, the connection to this place does the rest,” said Maura Spery, president of Mastic Beach Conservancy. “The Nature Paddle is for everyone who has ever looked at the water and wondered what’s out there. Come find out.”

THE RACE

Competitors can choose between two distances: a 5-mile course and a 2.5-mile course, both threading through the Narrow Bay corridor that defines Mastic Beach’s western edge. Classes include SUP (12 feet, 6 inches and under and over 12 feet, 6 inches), Recreational and Elite Kayak, and SUP Prone. The Awards Ceremony and After Party—sponsored by Noah, Open Water, WHB Brewing Co., Flourbud Bakery, and Tend Coffee —runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ages 14–19 race free. Participants who bring a friend receive $30 off the second registration. Members receive $10 off with code MEMBER10.

DAY-OF SCHEDULE

8 – 9a.m.: Check-in at 2 Violet Road, Mastic Beach 8:30 a.m.: Guided Nature Paddle departs 9 a.m.: Race start 10:30 a.m.– 1 p.m.: Awards Ceremony & After Party (beer by WHB Brewing Co.; water by Open Water; kids’ activities; food available for purchase) Street parking: Along Violet Road and Floral Court

WHY THESE WATERS

Narrow Bay and the waterways surrounding Mastic Beach are among the most ecologically significant coastal habitats on Long Island’s south shore. The tidal marshes and estuaries here serve as critical spawning and nursery grounds for striped bass, weakfish, winter flounder, and bluefish. Osprey, great blue herons, egrets, and the rare Salt Marsh Sparrow nest and feed along these shores. Horseshoe crabs—creatures unchanged for 450 million years—crawl each spring ashore on these same beaches.

Mastic Beach was among the hardest-hit communities during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The surviving wetlands helped absorb storm surge and protect homes. As sea levels continue to rise, those natural buffers become more valuable every year. The Conservancy’s cleanups, restoration advocacy, and community programming have helped catalyze more than $3 million in state and county funding for the Violet Cove ecological restoration and a National Coastal Resilience Grant for 128 acres of salt marsh habitat in southern Mastic Beach.

Race the Narrows is one of the few opportunities for everyday Long Islanders to experience these waters directly. The course runs through a living, working habitat that the Conservancy fights to protect year-round.

ABOUT MASTIC BEACH CONSERVANCY

Mastic Beach Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the conservation and preservation of 6.5 miles of publicly accessible waterfront parkland in the Mastic Beach and Shirley Conservation Area. Through community cleanups, educational programming, trail advocacy, and ecological restoration partnerships, the Conservancy works to protect Long Island’s south shore wetlands for current and future generations. Learn more at masticbeachconservancy.org.