What it’s like to crush the MR340

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The MR340—the world’s longest nonstop paddling race, which takes place annually on the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Charles—is so grueling that many racers aspire only to finish it. But Dustin “Duddy” LeCave of Wildwood has always aimed to crush it. And indeed, he has not only won the men’s solo division four times, but also, in 2022, he won first place overall—an astounding feat, given that the team boats tend to move the fastest. 

This year, it turns out, he’s taking a rare break from the race due to a rib injury. But what better occasion than the 20th edition of the MR340 to invite LeCave, a 43-year-old stay-at-home father of three, to look back on his winning record and the role that his wife, Amy LeCave, a pediatric dentist, has played in it. (Our conversation was edited and condensed for clarity.) 

What was your first MR340 like in 2014? Man, I had a big, 14-foot rec kayak. It was barely floating because I’d packed so much in there: my food, my tent. I was paddling so hard, ramming into logs to stay awake. But I had the best time! 

So you got bit by the bug. Yeah, but I had to take a few years off because we had our daughter, Ava, in December 2014. She has a genetic condition and she’s still undiagnosed. She was G-tube fed, so I’d have to hold her for six hours a day because you couldn’t lay her down. That’s how I became a full-time, stay-at-home dad. But I still wanted to do the race. I needed a better boat, so I got an Epic 18X Sport. And it was fast. When I’d go down on the river, the frustration from [Ava’s situation] on a daily basis—the frustration of not knowing what she has, of knowing what she can’t do, and then just feeling like you could do it for her—I just pushed a little bit harder, I guess. I definitely thought about her a lot. 

How do you train? I paddle around Howell Island a lot because I can do that unsupported. I’ll do a couple of midnight paddles and some long runs from Washington, New Haven, or Hermann. Then there’s a trailhead named after my dad [the John L. LeCave Memorial Trailhead on the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Trail]. I’ll park there and run across to the Katy Trail and do long runs, like 10-milers, sometimes around 1:30 a.m. or whatever, just to make myself uncomfortable. 

A huge year for you was 2022, when you not only won the men’s solo division but also finished first overall. What did that feel like? I didn’t even believe it. You can’t comprehend it. I don’t know why I did so well that year. I kept pushing as hard as I could. And I kind of lost it at one point. I thought my boat was sinking. 

So you’ve had the infamous MR340 hallucinations? Oh man. The reflection of the St. Charles bridge on the water looked like a PVC fence. I remember getting up to it thinking, I can’t believe they would build this fence across the river. One year I thought there were two river channels. 

During the race, how much do you sleep? I pull off at every stop and lie down flat to sleep, either on the concrete [of the boat ramp] or in the back of our Suburban. Only like five, ten minutes. Then my wife says, “Hey, so-and-so’s coming up behind you.” And I’m up. 

What do you eat out there? I’m just eating a ton. My wife gives me Dr. Pepper, burgers, Taco Bell. Pizza is really good. I have two cans of chicken noodle soup on me at all times. Just pop them open and pour it in. And I’ll have gummy worms, Swedish fish, sour Skittles, all in the Ziploc bag. A couple of sour Skittles here and there: It’ll push you through.

Have you ever been nailed by a flying Asian carp? Oh gosh, yeah. I’ve been smacked in the face. It’s remarkable how many things happen out there. I tell my wife, “You know how crazy it is to be going down the river and hear a hundred-foot cottonwood crash down right next to you?” Or just hearing the screeching and the squealing of coyotes, or a bobcat in the woods. 

Plenty of MR340 paddlers are simply trying to finish the race so they chat and cheer up one another. Is it lonely to compete at your level? It is very lonely. What I miss the most is the camaraderie: I still remember every conversation that I had and all the fabulous people that I met on my first 340. Now, every checkpoint that I go to is empty. The food’s not even set up yet; they’re still prepping. 

Do you listen to earbuds or talk to yourself? I don’t listen to anything. And it’s funny: Every year I’m out there yelling at myself saying, “What are you doing? What are you proving to yourself? This is so dumb.” I think every year I try to quit. At least once I tell my wife, “I miss you, I miss the kids,” even though I do this to get away from the kids. I kind of fall apart, but then my wife—she always puts me back together. She’s like, “I don’t take off work for you to get second place, so you look out there and do this.” I like that. She has said some funny stuff, too, like: “I’m going home with whoever the winner is.” And she has the kids’ handprints drawn in permanent marker on the front of the boat so I can remember that any day paddling out on the river is easier than “daddy Duddy day care.”

You’re taking this year off. You sure you’re coming back? I love the MR340. I plan on doing it with my best friends, my sons, and possibly even my wife one day.