As a red flag warning of perilously high water blew in the breeze beside Drakes Creek in Romanza Johnson Park, more than 30 people prepared to paddle canoes and kayaks down the stream.

The red flag, it turned out, had erroneously been left up after the waters had receded, making the creek safe once again for the people participating in the 4th annual Race on the River Fest.

The race, which was divided into several divisions based on gender, age and craft, took competitors along a winding path from Romanza Johnson to Phil Moore Park and was a fundraiser for Hospice of Southern Kentucky.

Jennifer Brashear, Hospice of Southern Kentucky’s marketing director, said the event began four years ago as an effort to draw attention to the hospice center.

“We were just looking for something to help people realize that Hospice of Southern Kentucky is their hometown hospice and we realized that kayaking has become such a big recreational event,” she said.

Roughly 35 people participated Saturday, which Brashear said was normal for the event.

Participation in Race on the River Fest has grown steadily over time, with the average number of participants having risen from roughly 25 the first year, she said.

Before the event, volunteers tested the water to make sure it was safe, Brashear said.

“They floated this morning and said it was beautiful,” she said. “It’s running pretty swiftly but it was a beautiful ride. Everything was great and safe.”

The event was also the third of 10 races to be featured in the Kentucky Waterman Series, a string of river races to be held throughout the summer to promote the state’s outdoor resources, organized by the Kentucky Tourism Initiative, according to the group’s website.

Gerry James, director of the Explore Kentucky Initiative, paddled a kayak in the Race on the River Fest.

Afterward, James said he participated in last year’s Race on the River Fest and asked Brashear if Hospice of Southern Kentucky wanted the event to be featured in the Waterman Series.

“It’s just a way to promote fitness and tourism,” he said.

So far, the series has been successful, with people from 15 states participating and more than 140 people competing in the first race, which was held in Lexington on the Kentucky River.

He said he was not expecting that many participants at Race on the River Fest because Explore Kentucky didn’t advertise it, due to it being Hospice of Southern Kentucky’s event and because most racers paddle carbon fiber kayaks that would get scratched on the rocks in Drakes Creek.

“Most of the high-end racers are not going to come and race this one because they’re worried about their craft,” he said.

Piloting a red kayak, Randy Ray of Elizabethtown was the first contestant in the men’s kayak race to finish, making it from Romanza Johnson to Phil Moore in roughly 55 minutes.

Ray, who according to James has previously set the record for quickest completion time, said this was his third time participating in the race.

This time, the water was flowing faster than normal, he said.

“It’s a fun river,” he said. “It’s interesting. It’s different around every turn. Not like paddling on a lake.”

So far, Ray has participated in all the races in the Riverman Series and plans to race in all the others as well.