Category: Athletes

The British National Short Course Championships visited Manvers Lake for the first time in 2026. A busy one-day competition, the short course distance delivers high‑intensity racing with multiple laps and portages across a 3.6km course that tests speed, and tactics. Sunday’s championships showcased exactly that: tight packs, dramatic portage sprints, and fiercely contested finishes that kept spectators lining the banks throughout the day.

The event was created by James Smythe, the former secretary of the Marathon Racing Committee and former Team Manager of international teams, after witnessing the distance at World Championship competitions. The 2026 edition of the event took place at a new venue, after several years of competing in Peterborough. Sadly, the sunshine did not join in and competitors, spectators and event volunteers were “treated” to light rain showers for a large chunk of the day.

In the Senior Men’s K1, James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) retained his title after a hard‑fought race in which Matthew Collinge (Fowey River Canoe Club) and Matthew Johnson (Nottingham Kayak Club) kept the pressure on throughout. The trio hit the final straight together, with Russell producing a decisive sprint to secure the win for another year.

The Under‑23 Men’s title went to former junior short course world champion William Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) in his first year out of the junior ranks, finishing just seconds ahead of Sam Cribbett (Nottingham Kayak Club). Fresh from winning the junior race earlier in the day, under 18 paddler William Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) delivered another impressive performance to take third overall.

In the Senior Women’s K1, Katie Brookes (Richmond Canoe Club) claimed her first national short course title, but only after a thrilling duel with under 18 athlete Dianora De Bilio (Royal Canoe Club). The pair were inseparable for much of the race, with Brookes edging ahead in a dramatic sprint finish off the final turn buoy. De Bilio’s performance also secured her the Under 23 women’s title, while Thames world record holder Brynde Kreft (Falcon Canoe Club) completed the senior podium in third.

With Dianora’s race putting her at the top of the Under 23 women, Sophie Dunlop (Elmbridge Canoe Club) took second in her first year out of juniors, with Jessie Urquhart (Nottingham Kayak Club) finishing third.

The canoe events featured a sole competitor, but a standout one: Hannah Toovey (Glasgow Kayak Club), who secured both the Senior Women’s C1 and Junior Women’s C1 titles.

In the Paracanoe KL categories, Jon White (Exeter Canoe Club) powered to victory in the men’s race, while Charlotte Creamer (Leighton Buzzard Canoe Club) added another national title to her name in the women’s event. Both won gold at the 2025 European Marathon Championships in their respective categories.

The junior races were among the most fiercely contested of the day, with spectators eagerly predicting podiums as the fields lined up. Before their senior race heroics, both Dianora De Bilio (Royal Canoe Club) and William Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) secured commanding wins in the junior girls’ and junior boys’ K1 races respectively.

The junior girls’ race produced a flurry of late‑race drama, with the final podium spots decided in the final 200 metres. Matilda Burton (Elmbridge Canoe Club) surged through to take second as well as the Under 16 title, while Imogen Field (Elmbridge Canoe Club) claimed third overall and second in the Under 16 category. In the Under 14 girls, Adriana De Bilio (Royal Canoe Club) took the win, followed by Edith Smerdon (Chelmsford Canoe Club) in second and Emily Wainwright (Nottingham Kayak Club) in third.

The junior boys’ race was equally intense. Sam Dickson (Falcon Canoe Club) secured second place, while Tyler Kinder (Reading Canoe Club) celebrated a hard-earned third after a close battle with Isaac Popham-Coveley (Falcon Canoe Club), who finished fourth. Doogal Barnett (Reading Canoe Club) dominated the Under 16 boys’ K1, with Finn Meredith (Elmbridge Canoe Club) and Edward Stroud (Wey Kayak Club) completing the podium. It was a successful day for the Barnett family, as Fergus Barnett (Reading Canoe Club) also claimed the Under 14 boys’ title, ahead of Marco Mangiantini (Royal Canoe Club) in second and George Ockenden (Elmbridge Canoe Club) in third.

In the Veteran Men’s K1, Matthew Enoch (Nottingham Kayak Club) delivered another confident performance to retain his title for another year, with Tom Dawson (Falcon Canoe Club) second and Juan Caruncho (Barking and Dagenham Canoe Club) third. Brett Sirrell (Royal Leamington Spa Canoe Club) took the Over‑54 men’s win, while Guy Holmes secured the Over‑64 men’s title.

The Veteran Women’s K1 final came down to yet another sprint finish, with Anja Whelan (Gloucester Canoe Club) taking the victory just ahead of Joanne Bates (Falcon Canoe Club), who also claimed the Over‑44 women’s title. Maggie Dilai (Nottingham Kayak Club) completed the overall podium in third. Lynne Fender (Nottingham Kayak Club) won the Over‑54 women’s category, and Jane Millar (Nottingham Kayak Club) topped the Over‑64 women’s field.

The Marathon Racing Committee are greatly appreciative to Manvers Waterfront Boat Club for their support and time to host this event. It was amazing to run a national event further north and a great opportunity to support the Northern and Scottish regions as well as showing off the amazing sport of canoe marathon to new communities. Despite the rain, the event went down well with an excellent site for racers and spectators alike. 

Mark Benton, Chair, Manvers Waterfront Boat Club said,
“We were delighted to welcome Paddle UK to Manvers for the Canoe Marathon Short Course Nationals. Hosting an event of this scale was a fantastic opportunity to showcase Manvers Lake and the surrounding area, and to welcome paddlers from across the UK to our site. It’s always great to see the venue supporting high‑profile sporting events and being enjoyed by so many competitors and spectators.”

The National Short Course Championships is one of the early events in the 2026 season, with the main National Long Course Championships taking place on the 11-12th July in Laleham. The tight racing across all categories as well as the intense podium battles at the Short Course event highlights the potential excitement of the season ahead. In terms of internationals, James Russell will compete at the marathon World Cup in China at the end of this month, with the European Championships taking place during the last week of June. Excitingly, the World Championships will take place in Argentina during the month of October, with a small but exceptional team due to be selected for it. To follow along, make sure you are keeping an eye on the Marathon Racing Committee website and social media channels (Facebook Page and Instagram Page). 

For full results from all heats and finals, please visit our live results page here.  

To access all photos taken by Antony Edmonds during the event, please visit Google Drive here. 

If you are interested in marathon racing, use the PaddleUK club finder to find your closest marathon racing club and get in touch. We have regional races taking place all over the country most weekends throughout the spring and summer as well as many amazing clubs offering community spaces. It can also be a great way to get out and enjoy the incredible British countryside too!