We are seeking volunteers to help us run the National Short Course Marathon Championships 2023 on Sunday 7th May. Whether it’s helping with set-up on the Saturday or marshalling during the racing or even commentary, we need your help to make this amazing event even better.
If you are interested in volunteering even a little amount of time over the weekend, fill in the below form and the Short Course Nationals Race Leads will be in contact in due course. Thank you!
Check the Prohibited List  – Not knowing is not enough.
The 2023 Prohibited List is available to read now and comes into effect on 1 January. Read about the Prohibited List over on UK Anti-Doping‘s website below.
Senior category start their marathon race after lunch
In a new endeavour for the 2022 season and onwards, the Marathon Racing Committee has been working closely with the Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race Organisation to support and continue to facilitate school racing and development opportunities.
Reinstated as an annual event in 2013, the National School Canoe Championship’s objective is to encourage grassroots paddling, and better preparation and development of school teams in paddlesport. It has been well entered ever since by a range of schools, including Kimbolton School, Bryanston School, Lord Wandsworth College and Heathside School.
Novice category start their marathon event
In 2022, the criteria for entry was reviewed with a focus on schools playing an active part and commitment to supporting paddlesport within their schools. All schools are required to demonstrate paddlesport is part of their co-curriculum/sport offering. We therefore had eight different schools entering crews for a busy day of racing at Hawley Lake on Sunday 20th November.
The morning involved a series of “500m” and “200m” sprint races for both the Senior and Novice categories. In the Senior 500m final, Jago Taylor and Dominic Walker (Norwich School) finished first ahead of Jack Ockenden and Charlie Fane from Bryanston School. In the Novice 500m final, Oscar Brownfield and Ted Umbers just pipped Charlie East and Dan Corfield (both from Lord Wandsworth College) by a matter of miliseconds.
Jago and Dominic from Norwich School after winning the senior marathon and sprint events
The 200m event takes the format of a knockout, where crews are eliminated in groups until the last remained five boats go head to head in the final. In the Senior race, Jago Taylor and Dominic Walker (Norwich School) again took the win after a tough fight against Imogen Hunter and Theo Sales from Hills Road Sixth Form College. In the Novice category, Freddie Cullen and Oliver Groslin (Lord Wandsworth College) won by over five seconds.
After lunch, the crews took to the water to compete in the marathon event. The senior category completed five laps of the lake with four portages, whereas the novice category completed four laps with three portages. After the start, the senior race broke down to a lead group of three crews: Jago Taylor/Dominic Walker (Norwich School), Imogen Hunter/Theo Sales (Hills Road Sixth Form College) and Jack Ockenden/Charlie Fane (Bryanston School). After a couple of laps, Jago and Dominic made a break to take the win just over a minute ahead of Imogen and Theo in second.
In the Novice race, a dominate performance from Charlie Simon and Tom Shepherd (Lord Wandsworth College) saw them lead the race off the start and complete the course by the themselves to take the win. Isabel Davis and Alex Gherabi (Kimbolton School) took the ladies novice win.
Lord Wandsworth College crews at the portage on the novice marathon race
It was really positive to see, in both the senior and novice categories, that most crews were finishing within a ten minute window after the winner of the race. Close racing was the theme of the day throughout and crews were able to race hard no matter their position in the field.
Overall, Kimbolton School took the win in the Senior Team Trophy and Lord Wandsworth College took the Novice Team Trophy.
After taking the win, Jon Sweet, Kimbolton School team leader, said, “We always enjoy coming to this event. It’s a great introduction to racing for our new paddlers as well as giving the more experienced ones something to aim for. We are very happy to have retained the team trophy and are looking forward to [the 2023 season].”
The Kimbolton Canoeing Captain, Noah, also said, “Despite an especially competitive year, strong performances throughout helped the team prevail, winning the team marathon event for the second year running, after having not won it since 1999. We hope to continue this good form going into our Waterside series of races and… [Devizes to Westminster]… next year.”
The MRC are excited to publish the current details for the 2023 season.
We are still looking for a host/venue for Hasler Finals 2023 – if you have not hosted a marathon major event or haven’t hosted in the last two years, please consider and get in touch, even if it’s just with a few questions on the commitment levels and requirements! Contact Dan Seaford, our major events lead, here.
To review, reflect and build on the successes of the 2022 Major Events Season, the MRC Major Events team is seeking feedback from the community of paddlers, coaches and clubs to allow us to make our events even better for the future.
Please fill out the following form for any of the major events you attended this year. If you did not attend one or two of the major events detailed, please skip onto the next section.
The Marathon Racing Committee and Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race Organisation are proud to present details for the National Schools Canoe Championship 2022. Taking place at Hawley Lake on Sunday 20th November, this will be the first addition of the event with the Marathon Racing Committee’s support after many years of hard-work and success on the part of the DW organisation and Marsport Canoes.
All details and information on the revised qualification criteria can be found here. Entries must be submitted by Monday 14th November.
Any queries or questions can be directed through Holly Mobbs, the MRC Junior Development lead, or Gareth Scragg, the Junior Teams Liaison for Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race.
There was a hectic day of kayak racing on Sunday 25th September as more than 600 paddlers took to the River Thames at Runnymede Pleasure Grounds. For the first time ever, Wey Kayak Club and Addlestone Canoe Club paired up to joint host the event at a brand new location for canoe marathon. With the incredible support of Runnymede Council, Environmental Agency and Surrey County Council, the venue was ready for the final national event of the 2022/23 season.
The early morning sunshine was a welcome backdrop for the lowest-ranked classes taking to the water just after 9am. In several races the clashing of paddles and jostling for space left some in the water and out of the action until they could swim to the side, empty their boats and set off again. Tight racing the division 7 K1 saw Rachel Hampton, from Chelmsford Canoe Club, take the win just 2 seconds ahead of Delilah Webb from Wey Kayak Club. Similarly the division 8 K1 podium were all only 3 seconds apart, with Martha Roberts (Elmbridge Canoe Club) taking the top position.
Graham Warland presenting Honor Lewis with the Ross Warland Trophy
The division 4-6 races had the most dramatic portages of the day, with some of biggest fields all entering the pontoon get out at the same time. Honor Lewis (from Wey Kayak Club) took the win in the division 4 K1, as well as earning the Ross Warland Memorial Trophy. The Ross Warland Memorial Trophy is presented to the highest placed junior in division four at the Hasler Final every year and Honor is the first junior girl to ever win it.
Joe Petersen – the winner of Division 1 K1
Just after lunchtime, the fastest racers in the country set off for Old Windsor Lock, with smaller but even more-determined fields of paddlers lined up, decked out in their club colours. Completing over the standard 12-mile course, the division 1 race was won by Joe Petersen from Banbury & District Canoe Club, closely followed by Tom Lusty from Solihull Canoe Club. The division 1 K2 race was won by Keith Moule and Matthew Johnson from Chelmsford Canoe Club.
Geoff Sanders K2
It was also a personal highlight for the Marathon Racing Committee to see the younger (U14) paddlers being able to race in both K1 and K2 in the Geoff Sanders races. This is the first Hasler Finals to ever run a K2 race for that age group and clubs fully engaged with it as eleven crews started the race. It was won by Jessica Peters & Eira Shaw from Wey Kayak Club and the K1 GSA title was taken by Bjorn Bartsch-Cotta from Falcon Canoe Club. Overall, the winning club for the Geoff Sanders Trophy this season was Devizes Canoe Club with 1480 points.
Runnymede mayor Cllr Margaret Harnden joined in the afternoon to present a series of trophies, as well as the coveted Hasler Trophy. Elmbridge Canoe Club were crowned the winners (after an 11 year hiatus from holding the trophy), with Norwich Canoe Club and Wey Kayak Club also making the podium.
Away from the racing, the day also had a focus on the environment and helping to keep the river and surrounding area clean. Recycling of food packaging, a water station and regular litter picks ensured the event left a minimal impact on the area. British Canoeing set up a Check, Clean, Dry stand to encourage cleaning of boats coming off the water to prevent the spread of non-native species, such as floating pennywort. Pippa Rowlandson, Wey Kayak Club’s environment lead, said that at least 50 boats were cleaned on the day.
Thank you to Wey Kayak Club and Addlestone Canoe Club for putting on a great event and we look forward to returning to this new venue at some point in the future.
Congratulations to all trophy winners from the day:
Hasler Trophy – Elmbridge Canoe Club
Geoff Sanders Trophy – Devizes Canoe Club
Rhodes-White Trophy (presented to the fastest senior man K1 over 12-mile course) – Joe Petersen (Banbury)
Adam Thomasson Trophy (presented to the winner of the division 2 K1) – Dominic Stanley (Falcon)
Barber Trophy (present to the fastest junior K1 over the 12 mile course) – Dominic Stanley (Falcon)
David Shankland Trophy (presented to the fastest women’s K1 over the 12 mile course) – Lizzie Broughton (Richmond)
Ross Warland Memorial Trophy (presented to the highest placed junior in the division 4 K1 race) – Honor Lewis (Wey)
The Committee Cup (presented to the highest placed junior woman K1 in the highest division) – Isla Bethune (Elmbridge)
Ken Pereira Cup (presented to the highest places junior C1 in the highest division) – Owen Chisholm (Richmond)
Bill Sparks Trophy (presented to the highest placed veteran K2 in the highest division) – Colin Heard & David Parker (Exeter)
For full details of the results, please visit our race management site here.
If you, as a club or a group of clubs, are interested in finding out more about hosting a major event, contact our major event lead, Dan Seaford, here.
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 – Not knowing is not enough. 
