German National Canoe Marathon Development Trip 2025 Write-Up
A team of 12 talented Under 23, Under 18 and Under 16 athletes, selected after ongoing assessments from late 2024 to early 2025, headed to the WVC Kassel Canoe Club, in central Germany on the River Fulda, for a weekend of short and long course racing back in May.
The challenge for the young team, several of which were embarking on their first international trip, was to tackle racing on unfamiliar waters, introducing themselves to a different international race set ups, as well as taking on three races each across the weekend, with sometimes unfamiliar K2 partners.
Travelling together with staff, new to many of the athletes, was part of the development experience. An overnight ferry to Holland, a very early start and a long drive to Kassel, brought us to the venue late Friday afternoon. Despite limited time, the team inspected the course and practiced the portages in excellent weather conditions, on calm waters though with deceivingly strong head winds. The initial feedback was good, a well laid out course of repeated loops, a fairly challenging beach-based portage, with some slightly tricky depth changes that would later become apparent. An early learning experience of the importance of how you tackle that first course inspection.
The German Event team laid on a Friday evening, all-you-could-eat pasta, which definitely met the team’s food needs. The organisers were all very welcoming and encouraging, which was very settling for the young group. Following the Friday team leaders meeting, an evening team chat from the very experienced staff team, who were able to specifically guide and help those on their first trip to understand and prepare for the racing.
Saturday morning opened with 3.6 km two lap, two portage, short course races for the whole team. With no Youth short course race available, it was decided to enter the youngest team members into the junior races to gain experience of a multi race event.
First off were the Junior Men in some of the bigger fields they would face over the weekend. Two front groups formed quickly with Alex Worgan (Richmond) staying in the lead group throughout, definitively taking 1st place, with Tyler Kinder (Reading) taking 5th after the lead group split into two on the second portage. Louis Smith (Worcester) was 10th, followed by Ocean O’Keeffe (Wey) in 12th and finally Lorenzo de Bilio (Royal) 15th, commendably persevering and getting back in touch with the race, after having a swim following an unfortunate coming together of boats in the first frantic few hundred meters of the race.
Lochie Lovell (Worcester) was next on course in the Senior men’s race, in a small but highly experienced field. Lochie had a strong race, with only a slight slip at one for the portages discovering the beach fell away steeper than expected, but he took an excellent 4th place behind two of the Paufler brothers who still race respectfully in the Senior Men fields internationally.
The Junior Women’s race was equally completive, again the biggest field of the weekend. Small groups developed quickly, Frankie Scrivener (Falcon) in a front group of three that soon became two, only losing a lead after the last portage and final turn eventually finishing 2nd. Matilda Burton (Elmbridge) and Ruth Shephard (Reading) worked hard in the following group, with Matilda breaking away on her own on the second loop to take 5th and Ruth followed behind in 6th. Kyla Holt (Richmond), Katherine Boon (Elmbridge) and Jocelyn Allan (Wey) battled for the next places, gaining confidence in the fast race to take, 10th, 11th and 12th respectively.
The afternoon sessions opened with starts every 5 to 10 minute so lots of movement on the course. The Junior Men’s K1 Long course 18.8km opened, five loops, four portages. Alex and Tyler took the race out from the start, creating a front group of four that eventually split though the later portages when Alex broke away to take 1st with Tyler close behind in 2nd. Louis, the only U16 in the field took a well-earned 10th place.
The Junior and Youth women’s K2 were next off on the same start line, tackling the 18.8km, five loops 4 portages and 15.1km, four loops and three portage courses respectively. Frankie and Katherine set off in the first group , though a split formed after the first portages as the leaders broke away. They stayed in contact throughout the race, just losing out towards the end finishing in 3rd. The younger girls were able to stay with the main race for the first two loops. They remained strong still pushing on despite being the only boats in their class, Kyla and Matilda pulling away finishing 1st, with Joshie and Ruth continuing to work out on their own for the 2nd place.
The final start was the Youth Men K1 15.1km four loops and three portages. Lorenzo manoeuvred himself into the first group of four from the start and was able, with one other boat, to open up space though the portages, where he got the upper hand on the last portage to take the win. Ocean had a confident race having to work hard at times on his own to finish 7th ahead of older competition.
Sat evening showed the whole team pulling together to prepare boats and the trailer for some tight timescales on Sunday, to fit in racing and our return journey. A well-earned local restaurant pizza meal was followed by a race de brief and final team talk, learning from the days races.
Lochie Lovell (Worcester) had the earliest start in the Senior men Long course K1 26.2km. Seven loops with six portages when he again faced the challenge set by the Paufler brothers. A strong group of four formed for the first loop and potage but at the start of the second loop they seemed determined to shake Lochie, who was able to work with Alex close behind to stay in touch with the race. He finished in a fine 4th place. Unfortunately, Lochie and Alex had lost the opportunity to race K2 on the Sat programme after injury scratches resulted in a no race. Alex opted to take on a second K1 race at the longer distance, ending up a little back from Lochie, finishing in 5th in what he said was a hard but educational race.
Next up, Tyler and Louis’s Junior mens’s K2 18. 8km, five loops and four portages. The boys initially held on to the first group and as the race progressed settled into their own rhythm staying just behind the lead, finishing in an impressive 3rd place given the new partnership. Tyler saying how impressed he was with Louis perseverance and determination.
K2 Youth men’s race 15.1km, 4 loops and 3 portage race followed where Lorenzo and Ocean paired up dominating the race to take the win.
The afternoon finished with the Women’s K1 races combined. Junior Women Frankie and Katherine taking on 18.8km, five loop, 4 portage course, with the Youth Women with one loop less covering 15.1km. Frankie held the front of the race with one other throughout, fighting for the win on the last portage, just losing out to finish second in the final run to the line. Katherine finished 5th after a strong determined solo performance. The youth women’s race broke into small groups after the first lap, with Matilda challenging throughout for the lead only to lose out on a very tight sprint finish taking 2nd. Ruth had stayed within the top group of three until the last loop, holding out to take 3rd place. Kyla and Joshie worked hard from solo positions behind the lead group to finish 4th and 6th respectively.
The women’s strong team effort immediately continued as the whole group joined together to load trailers and make a swift return to the port for the evening ferry. A celebratory meal on board was followed by our own medal ceremony, crafted perfectly using the ships soft play area foam blocks, much to the bemusement of the nearby passengers.
Time to reflect, as we journeyed home with a clutch of medals across the board, bought forward many common thoughts. Frankie finding that ‘mixed K2s helped to challenge and improve your race communication’. Matilda also though ‘racing in new partnerships was a very good overall learning experience’. Many thought experiencing European racing techniques was hugely helpful, Joshie ‘the quick starts were hard but good learning, and the long racing distances were not as far as you imagined as you concentrated on racing’. Lochie said ‘an amazing experience, excellent learning with different race set ups and on water racing styles, with often only a slight stroke movement as an indication of a pace change’. Alex felt ‘the style of German racing was very interesting particularly how they moved into turns’. Katharine ‘liked the course and the loops’, whist Lorenzo said ‘the portages were fun’.
The team summarised their weekend by saying that the learning experience was invaluable. The chance to race abroad gives a whole new perspective on their racing skills and whilst larger fields would have given a different and possibly more challenging races, the overall view of the trip was overwhelmingly positive. The whole team fully embraced the racing opportunities and wholly contributed to the off-water support needed as part of a successful Development trip. Thanks to all and especially the whole staff team (Colette Johnson, Ivan Lawler, Katie Williams, Zac Benstead), without whom the trip wouldn’t have been possible.
