ONLY ON 8: Paddlers race to finish Great Alabama 650

The country’s longest paddle race will soon come to an end.

Day 10 of the Great Alabama 650 saw two more competitors complete the 650-mile journey.

English native Gary Johnson made it to the finish line at 10:26 a.m.

Johnson is the first person from England to complete the race, finishing 6th in the male solo category and 10th overall.

Gary Johnson becomes first English paddler to complete the Great Alabama 650./Courtesy: Alabama Scenic River Trail

About 5 hours later, Alaskan natives Lillian Nelson and Izzy Nicolier finished the race.

Nelson and Nicolier finished 4th in the two-person tandem team category and 11th overall.

There are still two paddlers working their way to the finish line. Tennessee native Gayle Taylor and Deatsville resident Jason Hochsprung have until Tuesday, October 14 to complete the race.

As Action 8 reported earlier this week, a two-person tandem team with Alabama ties, Matt Taylor and Bobby Johnson, finished first.

Lillian Nelson and Izzy Nicolier arrive at the finish line./Courtesy: Alabama Scenic River Trail

Florida native Salli O’Donnell and Arizona native Christopher Thomas took home the top spots in the female solo and male solo categories, respectively.

The annual paddle race started on Saturday, October 4 at Weiss Lake in Northeast Alabama.

Action 8 News partnered with the Alabama Scenic River Trail to bring you exclusive coverage of the annual event.