Athletes will race into the waters of Lake Lanier to compete in canoes and kayaks in the 2011 Lula Bridge Race presented by the Lanier Canoe & Kayak Club on Saturday.

"Paddlers can choose their distance," said Brenda Miller, office administrator for the LCKC. "They can race a 5K, a 10K or a 25K from the (Olympic Finish Tower) to the bridge and back."

Regardless of which distance someone decides to race, "there will be medals for the top three finishers of each division." The details of each division can differ on age and the design of canoe or kayak used in the race.

The biggest restriction on registering for the race is that the club will not let you borrow the most important piece of equipment from them.

"They’ll need to bring their own boats," Miller said. In addition to boats, racers will need to sign a waiver and bring money for entry fees and a potential membership charge.

The cost to register is $25, though people who are not members of the LCKC will have to pay an extra $10 event-only membership cost.

Competitors will begin to gather at 8 a.m. at the base the Olympic Finish Tower for the 10 a.m. race. "The folks doing the 25K could be a couple hours until they are finished," Miller said. "Everything should be over around 12 or 12:30."

The 2011 Lula Bridge Race is part of the LCKC mission of letting boaters test their athletic abilities and to get in some "training for national and international competitions," Miller said.