The Marathon Racing Committee are urgently seeking volunteer staff to support the French National Development Trip on the weekend of the 26th-27th September in Charlesville near Rheims.
If you think you are available to support, please contact Graham Warland as soon as possible to start a conversation.
The Marathon Racing Committee’s 2026 Annual Consultative Meeting will be taking place online at 8pm on Monday 15th June, as previously advertised.
As a reminder, please make sure your club has registered to vote for the ACM to ensure you are represented. All clubs registered and who have raced within marathon races this year have the ability to send a representative for voting as well as raising anything for the committee discuss. Please get involved to help us direct the development of marathon racing in this country.
Please see below for the relevant papers for this years edition.
Any questions, please direct them towards the MRC Secretary, Sally Hartland, here.
Please note that the Marathon Racing Committee ACM will be taking place on the 15th June at 8pm.
Each club needs to nominate a representative to receive voting rights during the ACM. This can be done on the link below and should be done by 10pm on Monday 9th June. Every racing club is entitled to one vote at the ACM.
A representative from each club needs to register in order to receive the voting forms during the ACM: https://forms.gle/sFrU3iBGRLkF3SwH6
The ACM offers a formal space for the marathon racing community to engage with the committee and support the development of the sport further. We strongly encourage ALL clubs involved with marathon racing to attend and nominate a representative to vote. We also encourage ALL members of the marathon racing committee to attend even without voting rights.
The MRC will also be re-electing committee members at the ACM.
We are always looking for passionate people to join the committee and help drive positive change forward within the sport. This year we have two unfilled seats and would warmly invite anyone interested in the work of the marathon racing committee to get in touch at [email protected] as soon as possible, particularly if you have an interest in helping with: Coaching, Senior Athlete Development, Events, Junior Athlete Development, Media, Rules & Safeguarding.
There are various roles available with differing levels of commitment. All perspectives and experiences are encouraged and welcomed too.
We’d love to hear from you!
UK Coaching run a free quarterly webinar that supports coaches working with talented athletes—whether in the talent pathway, schools, or clubs. All webinars are delivered by subject matter experts and UK Coaching staff.
These webinars cover different topics every session but past webinars can the watched on demand by registering for free as a UK Coaching Club member and accessing post-session recordings from your member dashboard, via Member Benefits.
For more details and to book onto the webinars, visit the website page here.
The 2026 National Short Course Championships are taking place on Sunday 3rd May and we need you to help make it happen.
This event brings together paddlers, supporters, and clubs from across the country for an enjoyable and high energy day of racing. But behind every great championship is a team of dedicated volunteers who keep everything running smoothly. Whether you’re a seasoned event volunteer (national events or local club events) or completely new to volunteering, your contribution will make a real difference to ensure this event is the best it can possibly be.
We’re looking for volunteers to help with:
No previous experience is required, just enthusiasm and a willingness to get stuck in. You will be supported and guided by experienced volunteers in any role you are allocated to. The more volunteers we get, the more support every volunteer will have and the less time each volunteer will have to commit to (so more time to enjoy the racing too!).
If you can spare even just a few hours and want to support this amazing discipline and community, please fill out the volunteer form here.
Thank you for helping us deliver a fantastic championship. Events like this simply wouldn’t happen without the support of volunteers, and the Marathon Racing Committee are incredibly grateful for every person who steps forward.
If you have a passion for paddling and want to help shape the future direction of travel, the new Paddle England Assembly presents an opportunity to influence at a national level.
We are looking for individuals who are thoughtful, open-minded and passionate about the future of paddling. You do not need to hold a formal position or title. What matters most is your perspective, your experience, and your willingness to contribute constructively.
Serving on the new Paddle England Assembly is a unique opportunity to play an active role in shaping the future. Members recruited will contribute their skills and experience to national discussions, connect with a broad cross-section of the paddling community and help ensure paddling remains inclusive, progressive and community-led. Membership of the Assembly will be drawn from different paddling communities, helping to ensure diversity of thought, challenge, and innovation. This approach supports more inclusive, informed, and effective development of paddling opportunities across England.
By bringing together voices from different disciplines, backgrounds and communities, the
Assembly will help ensure diverse experiences are heard and valued, encourage healthy debate and fresh thinking, support more inclusive and informed decision-making and help shape priorities and future plans for paddling in England.
We will be recruiting up to twelve members to form the Assembly, drawn from across the paddling spectrum, including:
The creation of the Paddle England Assembly was agreed as part of the constitutional review completed in November 2024. It is an important step in strengthening how paddling is shaped, supported, and developed across England.
All applicants must be Paddle UK members who are based in England. There are similar bodies in place for our colleagues at Paddle Scotland, Paddle Cymru and Paddle Northern Ireland.
If interested and keen to give canoe marathon representation, apply here now.
Paddle UK Marathon Racing Committee are looking for an additional member of staff (preferably female) for the Under 18 and Under 23 development trip to the Amsterdam Waterlands Marathon in April. This can be an exceptionally enjoyable trip, supporting talented young athletes on part of their canoe marathon racing journey.
The prerequisites required are as follows:
All reasonable expenses will be met by the committee as part of the trips budget.
The provisional travel arrangements are:
If you are interested or simply would like to find out a little more, please contact our International Logistics lead, Graham Warland, here: [email protected].
Paddle UK are hosting a Safety Officer Workshop for event organisers. There is no cost for this workshop.
The workshop is now open for bookings following this link Safety Officer Induction Workshop – 23rd & 25th Feb @ 19:30
In order to attend you must have completed the Risk Assessment eLearning. The link to this is Risk Management and Risk Assessment eLearning | Buy Now Discipline volunteers can use the discount code: disciplinerisk to receive the eLearning for free.
The Risk Management and Risk assessment elearning course is normally £30 but using the discount code provided by the MRC above, it’s FREE to those taking it in advance and then booking onto the Safety Officer workshop.
As part of the standards of deployment requirements, all event organisers must complete these courses before lead organising events. The above opportunities are to support volunteers in completing these required qualifications.
The marathon community, clubs, coaches and event organisers who utilise power craft as part of their operations and events should refer to the recently published case study around legal accountability and launch operations here: https://paddleuk.org.uk/legal-accountability-and-launch-operations/.
Paddle UK have updated the document on Powercraft and Qualifications in Paddlesafer to include powerboat guidance for events in response.
The Marathon Racing Committee is deeply sadden to hear the passing of Trevor Wetherall. A steadfast and influential figure in our sport for many years, Trevor was a true backbone of the canoe racing community. He will be fondly remembered by countless paddlers for his unwavering commitment to Richmond Canoe Club and for the encouragement and support he offered to the next generation of athletes.
Through his involvement in junior development training days, camps, and his work as a National Coach, Trevor shaped the journeys of many. His connection to marathon racing began long before his coaching career, having proudly represented Great Britain on the international stage as an athlete.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.
