Derby Duck Race

Duck Race fans flock to Clopper Lake in their finest duck regalia.

Before the ducks compete, two-legged athletes gather for the "Duck Waddle" 5K Fun Walk. Some opt for strollers.

Teen volunteers with balloons welcome families.

Quacky, the Derby Duck mascot, greets young fans.

Airborne ducks are launched into the lake...the race is on!

Chaplain Phil Rider and volunteer Keith Midberry pull the winning ducks from the finish chute.

Volunteers crate the ducks for next year's race. See you then!

Before the race, Sean McKinney and Matthew Joseph lounge amid the athletes in the Official Dump Truck of the Derby Duck Race.

Spectators stock up on Derby Duck souvenirs.

Spectators gather on the shore of Clopper Lake in various vehicles and vessels.

Quacky, the Derby Duck mascot, poses before his inflated self-image and hams it up with families.

What's a party without a trampoline?

It's launch time, and the ducks are off! (Sort of.) Most won't budge from the Start area. The Finish line on the far shore seems a long way off.

A beached fanboat turns its rotor toward the water to blow ducks in the right direction.

The fanboat takes to the water to move ducks with its hull and wake. Speed demons on shore envy the captain's noisy, splashy ride!

A boy coaxes his duck across the lake using a Derby Duck Call.

The $1,000 Grand Prize winner: Stan Smith of Bethesda, shown here with his wife, Peggy.

As families stream to the shores of Clopper Lake, many stop by the Official Derby Duck Race Scorer's Table to make last-minute duck adoptions.

Some Duck Race fans dress up for the occasion.

Kids mob Quacky, the Derby Duck Race mascot, as he throws souvenir ducks into the crowd.

Face-painters and children have lots to keep them busy at a Duck Race!

Determined climbers see what 10,000 yellow rubber ducks look like in a dump truck.

The truck tips its ducks into Clopper Lake and the race is on!

After the race, attention shifts to the Scorer's Table to learn whose duck has won. Meanwhile, kids compare tattoos and collect the final souvenirs of a busy afternoon.