
Vail Duck Race
Presented by: Vail Edwards Rotary Club
Labor Day Weekend
Sunday, August 31st, 2025, at 3 PM
Race Starts At The Covered Bridge And Ends At The International Bridge In Vail Village, Colorado
Goal: $70,000
Thanks For A Great Duck Race!
Thank you to the sponsors, non-profits, duck adopters, and volunteers! This year, with your help, we raised over 72,000!
Over 12,000 ducks entered the race.
The Winners are:
Thomas Boyken - Grand Prize $5,000
Nate Knauer- Charlies H Stone Family LLP
Nicholas Beidas
Sharon Cohen
Bryan Chaney
Bodie LaCross
Prescott
Dan Edwards
Devina Gonzales
Royce Kesner
Mike Mycoskie
Michael Strode
Mike Leighton
DeeAnn Rivera
Joslyn Karley
Mourjghan Ridenour
Thanks to all of our prize sponsors (in no particular order):
Lionsquare Lodge
Cordiillera Golf Club
Vail Golf Club
Eagle River Inn
Edz Restaurant
Juniper Restaurant
Christie Lodge
La Nonna Restaurant
Costco
Avanti Restaurant
Harvest Restaurant
Route 6 Cafe
Westside Cafe
Non-Profits that raised money through the Vail Duck Race are:
Vail Edwards Rotary Club
Western Eagle Valley Rotary Club
Rodeo Ice Rink
Vail Friends of Dance
We’ll see you back in 2026!
What is the Vail Duck Race?
A duck race is when an organization puts numbered rubber ducks in a body of water. The ducks then “race” to the finish line of the event. The first duck across the finish line wins.
For the Vail Duck Race the Vail Edwards Rotary Club normally puts 10,000 to 15,000 ducks in Gore Creek. The ducks start at the Covered Bridge in Vail Village and race to the International Bridge also in Vail Village. The person who adopted the first duck across the finish line wins $5,000.
Local Vail Valley businesses donate prizes for the second, third, fourth, etc. duck winners.
Who we support
The Vail Edwards Rotary Club has supported numerous local and international charities in our 50 years. Some of our biggest projects have included:
Support of the Vail Hospital when it was first founded. The Club raised $100,000 through selling flag sponsorships on the International Bridge.
Putting the first emergency phone on the top of Vail Pass.
We also partnered with the Forest Service to build Julia's Deck on Vail Pass. Julia's Deck includes a wheelchair accessible path and deck that overlooks Mount of the Holy Cross.
When COVID-19 hit our Valley hard in the Spring of 2020 and many of our local workers were out of work, the Club donated a total of $50,000 - $20,000 to the Community Market (local food pantry), $20,000 to the Vail Valley Salvation Army with the designation that the money be used locally, and $10,000 to Speak Up Reach Out to increase suicide prevention. The Club also provided $1000 in gift cards to local restaurants and businesses to local childcare workers who were taking care of the children of first responders.
For more information about local and international projects the club has sponsored, visit the Who We Support page.
How to Enter
To enter the duck race, you adopt one or more ducks. If your duck is one of the first across the finish line, you’re a winner! Ducks are adopted rather than purchased because the Vail Edwards Rotary Club keeps the ducks. Keeping the ducks allows the Club to not have to purchase ducks every year, allowing more money to go to the community and international projects supported by the club.
Who We Support
The Vail Edwards Rotary Club has supported numerous local and international charities in our 50 years. Click below to learn more about the various projects and organizations we support.