Category: Racing

Non-Hasler Marathon Races 2025

Have you set a new years resolution to do more racing? Why not try out some of the marathon races that do not sit within the Hasler series? In the UK, we are incredibly fortunate to have a wide variety of races, from descent races to ultra marathons or even 10k time trails.

Have a look at our current list below. For live and up-to-date information on events throughout the year, keep an eye on our racing calendar here. Entries for lots of these races can be found on our entries site here.

2025 Key Marathon Dates

As we enter 2025, four key dates must be in your calendar so you can get involved in marathon throughout the year.

As always more dates can be found on the racing calendar throughout the racing season, including dates for local regional Hasler’s, international races, sprint regattas and even ocean races! This is the most up-to-date version of racing dates.

Masters International Racing 2025 Opportunities

2025 will see three great international races that we hope to have GB Masters competing in.

The Waterlands International race, 12th April,  in Holland is a challenging marathon on canals and a lake. The windy conditions make this a true test of stability and stamina. Entries are now open and there may be places on the Paddle UK trailer or car share with other paddlers.

European Masters Championships will be on the 2nd & 3rd June in Portugal. Provided there is enough interest, we will be taking the Masters trailer.

World Masters Championships will be in Hungary on the 2nd & 3rd September. We will be taking the Masters trailer to this great event.

To help with planning and coordination please let the Masters lead, Bryn Price, know if you want to join the team for any of these events via his email here.

National School Championships 2024 – Entries now open!

The MRC and Devizes to Westminster Organisation are looking forward to hosting the 2024 edition of the National School Championships on Sunday 17th November at Hawley Lake.

For full information on entry requirements, please visit the DW website page here.

To enter, you can download the entry form here.

Hasler Finals 2024 Cancellation

Please see the below letter from Richmond Canoe Club, the organisers of the 2024 Hasler Final.

Dear Participants, Volunteers, and Supporters,

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of the Hasler Final 2024, scheduled for Sunday, 6th October, at Ham Riverside, Richmond upon Thames. This difficult decision was made with the safety and well-being of everyone in mind.

Why we’ve made this decision
As of 1st October, river flow at Kingston is 246.171 m³/sec—far exceeding safe levels for paddling. Unfortunately, with more rain expected and high water levels unlikely to recede in time, we cannot guarantee safe conditions for the race.

We know it’s a regular occurrence for races to be cancelled on this stretch of river. Even though we Richmond paddlers like to blame all the water from upstream, we also know how dangerous this stretch of water can be, and as such, we have spent significant time in our risk assessments and PLA condition negotiations, all of which are telling us it’s not safe to proceed. 

The river is just too dangerous, with strong currents and increased debris that even experienced paddlers would struggle to navigate. Safety measures we’d normally rely on are also less effective in these conditions. We cannot take the risk.

Looking ahead
We are considering the possibility of rescheduling the event. We are looking at the feasibility of holding the event at a November race date at an alternative location. We will keep you updated with any developments over the next 14 days, including refunds and transfer of entries.

Volunteers & Vendors
Volunteers will be contacted personally with further information. Vendors and suppliers will hear from us individually to discuss arrangements.

Thank You
We want to extend our deepest thanks to everyone. Athletes, volunteers, sponsors, and the community of Richmond Canoe Club, your support has been incredible, and it means a lot. We know how much time, energy, and passion you’ve all invested in this event and the Hasler series in 2024, and we share in your disappointment. 

While we can’t race this time, I have no doubt that we’ll come together for future events when conditions allow us to enjoy the sport we love.

Please stay safe on the water, and we look forward to seeing you all soon. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at marathon@richmondcanoe.club, and stay tuned to our website and social media for updates.

World Championships 2024 – How to follow along

The final international of the 2024 season is here and it is going to be a busy week of racing in Metkovic, Croatia. Our Masters racing team kick off the event tomorrow morning with the K1/C1 races, followed by the K2/C2 races on Tuesday. You can follow along via the live results page here. There does not seem to be a live stream for this part of the event.

The team of junior, senior, under 23 and para athletes will start competing on Wednesday afternoon with Shaun Cook’s VL2 race and conclude on the Sunday afternoon with the Senior Men’s K2 race. Last time we competed in Metkovic was the 2018 European Championships where we came away with four medal (1 gold and 3 bronzes). Those who competed will remember the hot and bumpy racing conditions, which will make for some more challenging races this year. Good luck to all! We will be cheering you on every paddle stroke of the way!

Start lists and live results for all events can be found here. Any live updates from our British team will be shared via our social media platforms throughout the event.

All racing will be live streamed via the PlanetCanoe Youtube Channel. For full information on how to join to access the live stream, visit our how to watch Canoe Marathon website page.

Wednesday 18th September Schedule

14:25 BSTVL2 MenShaun Cook (Norwich)

Thursday 19th September Schedule

08:00 BSTK1 Junior WomenKamila Sklenarova (Norwich)
Sienna Payne (Chelmsford)
09:50 BSTK1 Senior Women Short Course Heat 1Greta Roeser (Wey)
10:15 BSTK1 Senior Women Short Course Heat 2Melissa Johnson (Chelmsford)
11:05 BSTK1 Senior Men Short Course Heat 2Matthew Johnson (Chelmsford)
James Russell (Chelmsford)
13:30 BSTC1 Junior MenOwen Chisholm (Richmond)
16:00 BSTK1 Senior Women Short Course Final
16:30 BSTK1 Senior Men Short Course Final

Friday 20th September Schedule

08:00 BSTK2 Junior WomenKamila Sklenarova (Norwich) & Sienna Payne (Chelmsford)
Annabel Hutchinson (Reading) & Mollie Ball (Devizes)
08:05 BSTC1 Under 23 MenOwen Chisholm (Richmond)
10:05 BSTKL2 MenJonathan White (Exeter)
10:05 BSTKL3 MenTimothy Lodge (Wey)
13:30 BSTK1 Under 23 WomenGreta Roeser (Wey)
15:45 BSTK1 Under 23 MenTim Dowden (Norwich)

Saturday 21st September Schedule

07:15 BSTK1 Senior WomenMelissa Johnson (Chelmsford)
13:00 BSTK1 Junior MenJoe Enoch (Nottingham)
Will Short (Elmbridge)
15:10 BSTK1 Senior MenJames Russell (Chelmsford)
Finn Cadell (Nottingham)

Sunday 22nd September Schedule

08:00 BSTK2 Junior MenJoe Enoch (Nottingham) & William Short (Elmbridge)
10:00 BSTK2 Senior WomenGreta Roeser (Wey) & Fay Lamph (Wey)
Melissa Johnson (Chelmsford) & Sienna Payne (Chelmsford)
13:00 BSTK2 Senior MenTim Dowden (Norwich) & James How (Norwich)
Matthew Johnson (Chelmsford) & Matthew Collinge (Fowey)

We are looking forward to some exciting racing over the next few days!

2024 FISU World University Championships Marathon – Follow along!

Tomorrow will see the debut of marathon races at the FISU World University Championship Canoe Sports. Hosted by Montemor-O-Velho, the 2024 edition has been running since Wednesday with the Canoe Sprint races but Marathon will debut tomorrow with four races. Two of which will have British representation.

At 14:40 tomorrow, Freya Peters (Richmond) and Katie Brookes (Exeter) will race in the K1 Women race over a 4 laps, 2 portages course. Matthew Collinge (Fowey) and Tim Dowden (Norwich) will race in the K1 Men race at 16:30 over a 5 laps, 3 portages course.

You can cheer them via the FISU official live stream here and live results can be found here.

Are you a University student or about to be a University student? Do you want to keep paddling at your local flatwater racing club? Visit our guide here to find the closest club and key contacts for you.

Good luck to all four!

European Championships 2024 – How to follow along

It is European Championships week and the team of junior, senior, under 23, para and even masters paddlers will be competing across all days this week in Poznan, Poland. Masters racing kicked off today with the K1 races and tomorrow will be the turn of the K2 races. The main European Championship races will start from Wednesday 24th July, with some of the para classes, and run until Sunday 28th July.

Start lists and live results for all events can be found here. Any live updates from our British team will be shared via our social media platforms.

All racing will be live streamed via the Canoe Europe Youtube Channel.

Wednesday 24th July Schedule

14:20 BSTVL3 MenWilliam Trowler (Norwich)
14:25 BSTVL2 MenShaun Cook (Norwich)

Thursday 25th July Schedule

09:30 BSTK1 Junior Men Short Course Heat 1Joseph Enoch (Nottingham)
William Short (Elmbridge)
10:20 BSTK1 Junior Women Short Course FinalKamila Sklenarova (Norwich)
Annabel Hutchinson (Reading)
10:45 BSTK1 Senior Men Short Course Heat 1James Russell (Chelmsford)
11:30 BSTK1 Senior Men Short Course Heat 2Matthew Johnson (Chelmsford)
13:30 BSTC1 Junior MenOwen Chisholm (Richmond)
15:00 BSTK1 Junior Men Short Course Final
16:15 BSTK1 Senior Women Short Course FinalElise Montagna (Royal)
Melissa Johnson (Chelmsford)
16:40 BSTK1 Senior Men Short Course Final

Friday 26th July Schedule

07:50 BSTK1 Junior WomenKamila Sklenarova (Norwich)
Sienna Payne (Chelmsford)
11:20 BSTKL2 MenJonathan White (Exeter)
11:35 BSTKL3 MenTimothy Lodge (Wey)
William Trowler (Norwich)
13:45 BSTK1 Under 23 WomenKatie Brookes (Exeter)
16:25 BSTK1 Under 23 MenHarry Freeland (Elmbridge)

Saturday 27th July Schedule

07:15 BSTK1 Junior MenJoseph Enoch (Nottingham)
William Short (Elmbridge)
09:35 BSTK2 Junior WomenAnnabel Hutchinson (Reading) & Mollie Ball (Devizes)
Kamila Sklenarova (Norwich) & Sienna Payne (Chelmsford)
13:00 BSTK1 Senior WomenMelissa Johnson (Chelmsford)
15:10 BSTK1 Senior MenJames Russell (Chelmsford)

Sunday 28th July Schedule

07:45 BSTK2 Junior MenJoe Enoch (Nottingham) & William Short (Elmbridge)
Flynn Holt (Richmond) & Nelson Kinzler (Richmond)
11:00 BSTK2 Senior WomenKatie Brookes (Exeter) & Elise Montagna (Royal)
13:00 BSTK2 Senior MenJames Russell (Chelmsford) & Harry Freeland (Elmbridge)
Matthew Johnson (Chelmsford) & Matthew Collinge (Fowey)

We are looking forward to some exciting racing over the next few days!

National Canoe Marathon Championships 2024 – Club Points and Junior Points Trophies

Thank you to all competitors, clubs, volunteers and spectators who made the National Canoe Marathon Championships 2024 at Reading such a success, particularly Reading Canoe Club for hosting and organising. 

There were a number of medals not claimed at the prize giving on both days. If you made a podium position but have not collected your medal, please email our secretary here

At the end of Prize Giving on Sunday, there are normally two club trophies awarded: the overall club points and the junior paddlers club points. However, this year, only one set of points was read out. After a review, we have discovered that the wrong points and podium was read out for the overall club points awards. The points announced were instead those for the junior club points and the overall club points were not announced. We apologise for this mistake and any disappointment this might cause. 

Below are the correct points for both trophies. Congratulations to Wey Kayak Club for winning both the overall club points and the junior club points trophies. 

We will be in contact with clubs directly to arrange the correct plate awarding. 

National Canoe Marathon Long Course Championships 2024 – How to follow along!

This weekend sees Reading play host to the biggest annual canoe marathon event in the country. We are super excited to see some tight racing and who manages to claim (or reclaim!) national championship titles.

Whether you are a member of the canoe marathon community or someone who has never watched canoe marathon before, there are lots of ways you can follow along with all the action over both days of racing.

In Person and Locally

If you are local to Reading, head down The Thames Promenade (RG1 8BD) from 9am on Saturday 13th or 8:30am on Sunday 14th to catch some racing in person. There will be commentary, food stands, trade stands, starts, finishes and one of the two portages taking place in this location so lots of action to watch! Racing will typically finish around 4:30pm each day. A particular highlight will be the Mixed K2 (2-person Kayak) race on Sunday starting at 3:30pm. Check out some of the links below for further information.

Online

Throughout the weekend, the Marathon Racing Committee and Reading Canoe Club will be providing coverage via live streams, stories and posts on their social media channels, particularly their Instagram’s. Click the names above to gain access to both accounts.

There will also be live results published throughout the day via the live results tab on our website.

Further Information

Live entries can be now be viewed here.

A full timetable of events and classes can be found here.

Full details on the courses for each class can be found here.

We are super excited for a great weekend of racing!