The 2024 U.S. Canoe Association opened its National Marathon Canoe & Kayak Championships Thursday.

And the next generations of championships were up first.

The youth sprints were held Thursday at Chapman State Park.

The racing will run through this weekend and shift to the Allegheny River starting Friday.

Many of those races will start at the Kinzua Dam’s tailwaters and come through downtown Warren during the late morning hours.

The HQ for this weekend’s event will be at Betts Park.

Between 250 and 300 paddlers are expected to participate.

Races of varying styles — canoe, kayak, stand-up paddleboard – are set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There will also be a biathlon component — paddling paired with a run at Betts Park, as well.

This marks the 10th time that Warren has hosted the national races, more than any single other place in the country.

The racing each day starts at 9 a.m. and wraps up around noon.