The 62nd Annual Weyerhaeuser Au Sable Canoe Marathon began at 9 tonight and racers have now begun their 120 mile journey to Oscoda.

An estimated 15 to 20 thousand people were lined up at the starting line tonight in Downtown Grayling.

Racers will now have to paddle over 100 miles, through the night and into tomorrow morning.

Earlier today, racers told us it's going to be a challenge dodging thousands of logs, rocks and rapids, but having the fans are going to be a huge pick-me-up.

If you missed the start of the race tonight, you still have plenty of time to cheer the paddlers on as they cross the finish line tomorrow morning in Oscoda.