The organisers of the 2024 World Championships have released the first bulletin for the Masters programme of events. This can be downloaded using the below link.
Any questions on Masters racing should be directed to our Masters lead Bryn Price via his email.
For those Masters considering entering the 2024 World Cup Masters event in Brandenburg, please see the attached bulletin and entry form.
As with previous internationals, there is the option of Masters boats being taken on the main team trailer if space allows. This will be at an additional cost.
Any questions, please contact our Masters Racing Lead Bryn Price here.
Following the decision by the MRC to standardise the Great British race vests for all paddlers racing at marathon internationals, we need to know who is planning to race at any of the following international events this year:
Please let Bryn Price, our Masters Racing lead, know if you are planning to attend any of the above and your vest and shirt size.
Jel, Denmark, 28th August & 29th August 2023
This year the British Masters Team was made up of 34 paddlers, even bigger than the 30 paddlers we had in Portugal in 2022. The growth doesn’t seem to be just for our team either! The number of paddlers entered and racing was far bigger than in most of the recent World Masters Championships, with many of the starts having over 30 paddlers on the start line and causing some very intense racing!
Similar to last year when Denmark hosted the European Championships, the weather was un-predictable. Monday was windy and Tuesday was rainy, with short sharp showers in the afternoon.
As typical, the Monday was dedicated to the K1 races and we soon showed that our strength was not only in numbers. Brian Greenham (Reading Canoe Club) got the Gold in the Men’s 70 -74 K1 with Gilbert Speirs (Linlithgow Kayak Racing) winning the bronze medal.
Not to be out-done, Edgar Boehm (Reading Canoe Club) got the Bronze in the Men’s K1 45-59 category.
Tuesday saw the K2 and C2 races. Edgar Boehm (Reading Canoe Club) and Juan Abellanas (Barking & Dagenham Canoe Club) showed the way with a gold medal in the 35-39 Men’s K2 race after a dominant performance.
Our team was made up of some experienced British Masters paddlers and boosted by some of our International novice paddlers who showed that they were equal to the challenge. We were honoured to have Ivan Lawler (Elmbridge Canoe Club) join us on the water as well, when his commentating duties permitted.
Men’s K1 65-69:
Men’s K1 70-74:
Men’s K1 75-79:
Women’s K1 65-69:
Men’s K1 35-39:
Men’s K1 55-59:
Men’s K1 45-49:
Men’s K1 60-64:
Women’s K1 45-49:
Women’s K1 50-59:
Men’s K2 65-69:
Women’s K2 45-49:
Women’s K2 50-54:
Men’s K2 35-39:
Men’s K2 55-59:
Mixed K2 65+:
Thank you to Bryn Price for his help in putting this report together. We look forward to hearing all about the Master’s adventures in the 2024 season next year.
The Great Britain Masters team had 32 Paddlers competing in the Masters World Cup in Portugal in September. This was a huge increase in the 4 who competed in the Masters World Cup 2021 held in Romania and the European Cup held in Denmark back in July.
The team that headed out to Portugal had a hard act to follow after the 2021 team won a gold and a silver medal and the recent European Cup team all managed to get onto the podium in their respective age group races. These set the scene for Portugal, with our team’s reputation running high.
The masters events always start with the single boats racing on Monday and Brian Greenway paved the way by showing that his many years of racing still counts as he took the Gold medal in the Men’s K1 70+ race.
Following on, we had paddlers in most of the other age group races with many of our paddlers competing in their first World Masters. Unlike 2021, the fields were huge, often using more than the start pontoon’s 20 places. The men’s team earned many top 10 places, including Edgar Boehm getting a 9th place in a highly competitive over 45 K1 men’s race and Robert Scholes and Antony Nolan achieved 5th and 6th respectively in the over 75 K1 men’s race.
The women’s team were not to be outdone and showed how this team has grown in size and confidence. Jane Millar took 4th in the over 65 women’s K1 and Sue Hawthorn earned 5th in the over 55 women’s K1.
Tuesday was the turn of the double crew boats and the British medals continued to come. Our over 75 Men’s K2 team of Keith Durham and Paul Newman won an unopposed Gold. Not to be outdone, Brian Greenway dropped down an age-group to paddle into a medal winning position with Simon Davies. The Kristin Queeney and Catherine Ayling completed a bronze medal winning performance in the over 55 women K2.
To conclude the programme of events, some of our paddlers took to the water for their 3rd race in 2 days to compete in the mixed K2. Unlike in previous years, the mixed K2 was merged into only 2 age-group based races. In the over 50 mixed K2, Chris Sze and Catherine Ayling achieved 10th with Micheal Hawthorn and Sue Hawthorn finishing close behind in 11th. It is worth noting that if the mixed K2 had be seperated out into the previous age categories like at last years world cup, Chris Sze and Catherine Ayling would have had 3rd place in the over 55 and Bryn Price and Jane Millar would have had a 2nd place in the over 65.
Thank to Bryn Price for his support creating this write-up.
The registration website for the World Masters Marathon Championships, Ponte de Lima, Portugal, 26th September to 2nd October 2022, is now open :
To register each athlete must first complete the registration option. This will include the options of booking accommodation and airport transfers.
Each athlete will be allowed to eat lunch at the venue canteen.
On completion you will receive an email with your race ID. Make a note of this for your records.
Once an athlete has registered, entries can be made to the races you wish to enter. Please note that both athletes need to do the initial registration before using the race entry option as you will need the ID number here.
Bryn Price