On Sunday, August 30th, 2026, paddlers from all over the world will take to the waters off Southern California in the 49th annual Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race, the world's premier historical paddleboard race. Paddlers will leave the Isthmus cove, Catalina Island, at 6:00 a.m. and paddle 32 miles to the Manhattan Beach Pier on paddle boards (between 12 and 19 feet long) using only their hands to propel them through the water.

The top finishers generally arrive at about 11:00 a.m. The race closes at approximately 3:00 p.m., after which all paddleboarders gather for a photo at the Manhattan Beach Pier.