Month: April 2026

Waterlands Marathon 2026: Strong British Performances at Iconic Amsterdam Race

   26 April 2026    Athlete Development, International, Racing

The MRC Development Team delivered an impressive set of performances at the 2026 Waterlands Marathon on Saturday 18 April, taking on the renowned 24-km course through the canals and waterways surrounding Amsterdam. The British squad of 12 athletes, nine juniors and three under‑23 paddlers, joined a world‑class international field for one of Europe’s most distinctive marathon races.

The Waterlands Marathon is famous for its variety: tight right‑angle turns through narrow dykes, long exposed stretches of wind‑affected canalsl, and fast mass starts featuring up to 80 boats. The route forms a rough loop from the Amsterdam Viking Club, weaving through the surrounding fields and villages.

One of the race’s most iconic features is the second portage, where paddlers must drive their boats straight out of the water and onto a bed of cut reeds. The British team took time on Friday to practise this unusual obstacle, quickly discovering that a fast and committed approach is the key to success.

The British women and girls were first onto the water, setting off alongside the veteran categories in calm, favourable conditions. A fierce battle unfolded at the front of the junior girls’ race, with Kyla Holt (Richmond Canoe Club) locked in a head‑to‑head duel with Italian competitor, Elisa Cardella. After a hard‑fought final sprint, Kyla secured an excellent silver medal, narrowly missing out on the win. Ruth Shephard (Reading Canoe Club) finished in fifth and Molly Bates (Richmond Canoe Club) in sixth.

A similar storyline played out in the junior boys’ race. Will Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) went stroke‑for‑stroke with Italy’s Candela, an athlete with a strong international pedigree, all the way to the line. Will claimed a superb silver, with teammate Marcel Nagy (Reading Canoe Club) delivering a powerful final third of the race to take bronze, completing a double podium for Great Britain. Benjamin Eskriett (Gailey Canoe Club) finished in fifth, and Tyler Kinder (Reading Canoe Club) in sixth. The under-16 athletes Doogal Barnett (Reading Canoe Club) finished in eighth and Edward Stroud (Wey Kayak Club) in twelfth. 

Across all categories, the British athletes demonstrated exceptional adaptability and boat handling on a course that demands constant tactical and technical adjustment. The under‑23 paddlers provided excellent role-modelling throughout the trip, setting a great example for the junior athletes both on and off the water and achieving strong results in tough fields. Lochlain Lovell (Worcester Canoe Club) finished in ninth, Cassian Payne (Chelmsford Canoe Club) in twenty-first and Sienna Payne (Chelmsford Canoe Club) achieved seventh in the senior women’s race.

After racing, the team enjoyed an evening walk through central Amsterdam, a chance to stretch tired legs and celebrate a successful day before the long journey home.

Special thanks go to the volunteer staff team of Brian, Tom, Estelle, and Tim, whose work made the trip possible.

In addition to the selected development squad, several British paddlers travelled independently to compete. James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) continued his outstanding form, securing his third consecutive victory at the Waterlands Marathon, confirming his strength against other world-class athletes.

Official results for all categories can be found on the event website here.

European Championships and Sanabria K4: Availability Form now open!

   22 April 2026    Athlete Development, Athletes, International, Para, Racing, Selection

Assessment races for the European Championships and Sanabria K4 are being held on Saturday 2nd May in Nottingham, Sunday 3rd May at Short Course Nationals in Manvers, and Saturday 23rd May at Elmbridge Canoe Club. Results from these events will be used to select the teams. Selection will be announced following the assessment race on 23rd May.

For full information on the selection process, please see the selection policy published on the website here.

To be considered for selection athletes must complete an availability form by 22:00 on 30th April. This can be accessed here.

Entries and details for races available on the marathon racing entry site here.

Volunteer to help at the 2026 National Short Course Championships!

   14 April 2026    National, Racing, Volunteers

The 2026 National Short Course Championships are taking place on Sunday 3rd May and we need you to help make it happen.

This event brings together paddlers, supporters, and clubs from across the country for an enjoyable and high energy day of racing. But behind every great championship is a team of dedicated volunteers who keep everything running smoothly. Whether you’re a seasoned event volunteer (national events or local club events) or completely new to volunteering, your contribution will make a real difference to ensure this event is the best it can possibly be.

So, why should you volunteer?

  • Be part of a major national event in canoe marathon
  • Support athletes as they take on one of the most exciting and newest format in marathon racing
  • Enjoy a fun, friendly atmosphere with fellow paddlers and supporters
  • Give back to the community that keeps our sport thriving – canoe marathon is entirely run and organised by volunteers so we rely on other volunteers to help too!

We’re looking for volunteers to help with:

  • Course marshalling
  • Boat driving (qualification required)
  • Check‑in and race control
  • Boat control
  • Time keeping
  • Commentary
  • Media support
  • Trophy presentation support
  • Car parking and/or general site management support
  • Set-up and pack-down
  • First aider

No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in. You will be supported and guided by experienced volunteers in any role you are allocated to. The more volunteers we get, the more support every volunteer will have and the less time each volunteer will have to commit to (so more time to enjoy the racing too!).

If you can spare even just a few hours and want to support this amazing discipline and community, please fill out the volunteer form here.

Thank you for helping us deliver a fantastic championship. Events like this simply wouldn’t happen without the support of volunteers, and the Marathon Racing Committee are incredibly grateful for every person who steps forward.

National Short Course Championships 2026 Entries Now Open!

   14 April 2026    National, Racing

The entries for the 2026 National Short Course Championships are now open!

The Marathon Racing Committee are super excited to be taking this year’s championships to Manvers Waterfront Boat Club for the very first time. Make sure you get your entry in by Sunday 26th April (11:59pm) to avoid late entry fees and to ensure we can organise heat draws and confirm the final schedule.

We look forward to another exciting and action-packed day of racing at a brand new marathon location!

Flatwater Paddling Technique Workshop @ April Sprint Regatta

   10 April 2026    Coaching

The Talent pathway team are running two coaching workshops at the April regatta focused on The fundamentals of effective paddling technique.  

It will be run in the PaddleUK gazebo with a slider & ergo.

To make it accessible for the most coaches, they are using the lunchtime gap in the program.  The plan is a 45-60 minute (drop in) session, on both Saturday 12:45pm & Sunday 12:15pm, to allow as many coaches to attend without impacting on their coaching and watching/interacting with their athletes.

They understand that coaches are busy and they are more than happy for food & drink to be consumed whilst it runs.

The interactive workshops are designed to build shared understanding, spark great conversations, and create a more consistent approach to coaching technique across the UK.  This year they launched the updated Technical Guides and a Technical Framework focussed on the phases of the stroke (Set Up, Catch, Drive, Exit), and to build on this they are running regatta workshops to share ideas with you and to gain your feedback and insights. Their aim is to create a common understanding and have greater technical conversations between coaches to create a more consistent approach to how we address forward paddling for racing within the UK.

The SRC are also running a drop in session about the future of racing and regattas at the same venue.

Notts-tech

The TruDark Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race 2026: How to follow along!

   2 April 2026    Athletes, Racing

The Marathon Racing Committee would like to wish all competitors racing in the 2026 edition of the ThruDark Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race the best of luck. We hope you all have a safe and enjoyable race with many memories and stories to share for many years to come.

We would also like to thank all the volunteers (directors, committee, marshals and more) out on the course over the next few days. Without you, these events could not happen.

There is a variety of coverage happening over the next four days as the straight through crews, juniors and stages compete and you can follow their progress in a variety of ways.

The official DW organisation channels include the following:

PaddleDaily, an independent paddling media company, will also be following the race through their channels. In particular, they will be running a non-stop live stream throughout the senior doubles event on their Youtube channel. You can find their channels below.

We look forward to following along ourselves!

Invitation to K1/C1 Vienna Canoe Marathon 2026

   2 April 2026    International, Racing

Please see below invitation and entry form for the 2026 K1/C1 Vienna Canoe Marathon sent from the event organisers.

Invitation-2026-
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