James Russell to represent Great Britain on the International stage at the 2026 Marathon World Cup in China

James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) will be the sole representative for Great Britain in the first major canoe marathon international of the 2026 season. The marathon world cup will take place this weekend in China, where the top international competitors have been invited by the organising committee to compete.

James will race over the short course and long course distance with some races at sociable hours for British viewers to tune in.

On Saturday morning, James will race his short course heat at 02:15 BST and, if he qualifies to the final, he will compete for medals at 08:30 BST. On Sunday morning, James will line up for the long course distance at 09:45 BST. With a large pot of prize money on the line, it is set to be some intense racing!

You can follow along via our socials throughout the weekend as well as through the event live stream here. Live results can be found here.