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Great Britain equalled its best-ever medal tally at the Canoe Marathon European Championships, finishing fifth on the overall medal table after a hard-fought final day of racing in Pitești, Romania.

In extreme heat, five British K2 crews took to the water across the Junior Men’s, Senior Women’s and Senior Men’s races, closing out a Championship in which the team secured a total of seven medals.

The Senior Women’s K2 race was shortened to 22.6km due to the severe heat, with the portage moved forward to the first lap. Katie Brookes (Richmond Canoe Club) and Sam Martyn (Wey Kayak Club) made an excellent start, immediately securing the Hungarian side wash and positioning them well in the leading group. Sophie Dunlop (Elmbridge Canoe Club) and Brynde Kreft (Falcon Canoe Club) were slightly slower away but worked effectively to join the lead pack of seven boats during the opening lap. 

As the pace lifted, Dunlop and Kreft were the first to lose contact with the leaders, while later in the lap the front group stretched further heading into the early portage, leaving Brookes and Martyn just off the back. A breakaway from a Hungarian crew and two Spanish boats split the race further, and Brookes and Martyn exited the portage in the second group. Behind them, a strong portage from Kreft and Dunlop brought them out alongside the Italians in pursuit.

As the race unfolded, the British crews came back together in a chase group, later collecting the Danish boat ahead of them. At the final portage, the Danes managed to edge in front, putting pressure on the British crews heading into the closing sprint. In a tight finish, Brookes and Martyn crossed the line in 6th place, just ahead of Kreft and Dunlop in 7th, separated by less than a second.

Reflecting on hers and Martyn’s race, Brookes said: “I’m really proud of what we did off the start, something to build on as well. The first portage was quite unforgiving, but we had the third fastest portage time.”

Martyn: “We’ve been building up to it all week, especially for me. Just getting on that start line and feeling like, we’ve got to give it all the beans and see what happens after that. So to look back at it and see that we were there at the start, that’s pretty cool. It was nice to have two British senior women’s races side by side.”

Dunlop said: “I had the best time in that race, I don’t have a highlight, it was the whole thing.”

There is a strong women’s training group developing in the South of England. Kreft said: “We’re all training down South, it was like a normal Sunday paddle, we see each other all the time.”

The Senior Men’s race was also reduced to 22.6km, consisting of six laps and six portages to minimise the risks posed by the heat. Both British boats, Will Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) and Alex Worgan (Richmond Canoe Club), and Sam Cribbett (Nottingham Kayak Club) and Will Stroud (Chelmsford Canoe Club), started strongly and were in touch with the front group early on. Short and Cribbett both showed off their excellent K2 driving skills in their respective boats, constantly adjusting to the chaos of a large front group with sharp changes of speed.

Cribbett and Stroud were forced off the back after congestion and collisions caused by the leading group being taken tight to the bank approaching the top turn, but they quickly regrouped and formed a solid and threatening chase group. Short and Worgan continued to race well, picking up v-washes in the front group until a breakaway group of four at the first portage left chaos in their wake. 

Short and Worgan willed themselves back in contact with the front group, but they struggled to find a safe place to rest and eventually fell back in the field to join their teammates in a chase group of 6 boats. As the race progressed, the heat started to take its toll on the overall pace of crews across the field. Cribbett and Stroud kept up a valiant chase in the second group, picking off crews who had dropped off the leaders, steadily closing the gap and even recording the fastest lap of the race on lap four. Their efforts paid off when they rejoined the leaders before the top turn on lap five, following a determined final effort alongside the Italian crew. However, another series of sprints before the penultimate portage saw them drop behind the group again but continue to press on, never giving up the chase. The pair crossed the line in 9th after hunting down world class crews for the duration of their race.

Short and Worgan, now racing further back, continued to battle fatigue and the oppressive heat as the thermometer in Pitesti hit 35℃. Despite these challenges, they maintained their effort through to the finish, placing 14th after a photo-finish sprint with the second Hungarian crew.

Walking through his race, Cribbett said: “We knew we weren’t going to be the fastest off the start so we tried to use the Norwegian boat next to us to get to the front. Once we got there we were struggling with all the washes and I don’t think we got as comfortable as we wanted to. We battled through it for the first lap. Once we got used to the grind we started to pick it up a bit more and used the rolling waves to chase back to the front again. We tried to stay as long as possible. We’re very happy with our result.”

The crew also devised strategies for coping with the heat: “We learnt from the races that happened before ours some ways to manage the heat. We had ice in buckets, made sure our water was cool the whole way round, and made sure we had plenty of electrolytes to stop us cramping.”

Stroud said: “It was hard work catching up and staying with the front pack but I was happy with the race.”

Reflecting on his and Worgan’s K2, Short said: “We struggled in the heat a bit but the first lap was really good. It was quite positive to sit on the downhill waves on the big washes.”

Worgan said: “The first lap was really good and then I got 150m down the portage and just lost all vision. I think the sudden change in heart rate just threw me completely. But, after about lap four I got back into it. It was nice to spend some time with big names and fast boats and be comfortable with it, it didn’t feel scary. It felt like we deserved to be there.”

In the Junior Men’s K2 race, contested over 22.6km with six laps and five portages, Henry Pitt (Royal Canoe Club) and Marcell Nagy (Reading Canoe Club) were faced with a fast and aggressive start that made it difficult to maintain contact with the leading crews. However a broken paddle from the favourite Hungarian crew at the start offered Pitt and Nagy a lifeline as they made their way back up towards the front of the field, driving up the pace of the chase group in the process. Unfortunately, a dead leg for Nagy on the first portage forced Pitt to carry the boat alone over the long portage, costing them valuable time and contact with the group ahead. Despite this setback, the pair continued to push all the way to the finish, placing 13th in a gritty display of determination.

This marks one of the most successful Championships for the British team in recent years, with a fifth-place finish on the medal table and an equal-best total of seven medals achieved. The result is made even more impressive given the extreme conditions faced throughout the week.

Team leader Katie Williams said: “I am really proud of the team for managing so well in the hot conditions. Sport always comes with highs and lows, but every athlete has something positive to take away from this competition. I’d like to extend a massive thanks to the rest of my staff team and the parents and supporters who helped with transport.”

You can see the full day’s results via the Memosoft Spotfokus app, as well as the full championship medal table.

The team will return to action later this year at the World Championships in Argentina, with final selections to be confirmed following the National Championships on 11–12 July in Laleham.

Thanks to Freya Peters for her support and words within this write-up.

Rising temperatures provided a strong test on day four of the Canoe Marathon European Championships in Romania, but Great Britain once again delivered standout performances, highlighted by William Roeser securing his second European title of the week and a career-best senior K1 finish for Katie Brookes.

Fresh from his short course victory earlier in the week, William Roeser (Wey Kayak Club) took to the water in the Junior Men’s K1 standard distance and produced a performance that confirmed his strength at this Championships. Racing over 20km in cooler early conditions, Roeser remained calm and composed in the opening stages, sitting comfortably on the back washes of the lead group. A decisive moment came at the second turn, when two Spanish athletes attempted a breakaway. Roeser instantly bridged the gap decisively and placed himself firmly back in medal contention.

“I’m actually not sure how [I bridged the gap]. The group opened up somehow and I just managed to get through the group without having to go back behind it and used the Spanish’s side waves as they were going almost center up the lake, followed the waves in to catch them without anyone following me.”

From that point onwards, he looked in control of the race. Confident and efficient through every portage, he frequently exited first. On the final lap, Roeser ensured he entered the last portage in the lead and from there dictated the pace to the finish. Despite a late push from Spain’s Velasco, Roeser held firm to claim his second European title in a time of 01:39:48, completing an exceptional double.

“On the second portage I gave it a go to see what they were made of and I managed to create a little bit of a gap between me and the catching group… but every portage after that I was trying to test them to see who was willing to work and who wasn’t. After the last portage,… once I was leading, I was pretty confident that I could fend him off.”

Competing on the course at the same time was Beth Gill (Nottingham Kayak Club) in the C1 Senior Women’s standard distance. Following her silver medal in the short course earlier in the week, Gill made a powerful start, quickly establishing an early breakaway alongside Ukrainian canoeing legend Babak and Moldova’s Daniela Cociu. Leading into the first portage, Gill’s technical ability in the tricky boats were shown, but a decisive surge from Babak split the race apart.

With Cociu chasing ahead, Gill’s focus turned to securing a podium position. She looked set to claim bronze for much of the race until a late surge from Hungary’s Matkovics, combined with a small paddle issue on the final portage, proved decisive. Gill crossed the line in fourth place, just seconds outside the medals in a performance that nonetheless demonstrated her continued return to top form.

In the Junior Women’s K2 race, the young and developing crew of Imogen Field and Matilda Burton (both Elmbridge Canoe Club) gained valuable experience at international level. A fast start from the leading boats forced them to fight early for position, and they successfully secured a back wash within the front group. However, congestion at the first turn pushed them out the back. From there, they regathered well, using the washes of other boats coming through the field after swims to maintain speed and position as the race unfolded. Crossing the line in 9th place, just five minutes behind the winners, it marked an impressive result for such a young pairing, particularly with Field making her international marathon debut.

As temperatures continued to rise, attention turned to the Senior Women’s K1 race, where Katie Brookes (Richmond Canoe Club) and Brynde Kreft (Falcon Canoe Club) represented Great Britain in a competitive field. In her first year as a senior following progression from under-23 level, Brookes delivered a superb performance. Both athletes made strong starts, confidently securing positions within the lead group and holding pace through the early stages.

Kreft battled hard through the first lap and a half before dropping into a chase group, where she continued to race strongly alongside France’s Boisnard and Serbia’s Bedocs. Brookes, meanwhile, held position within the lead group  on the V-wash despite constant movement within the front washes. As the pace increased into the first portage, she was forced to drop back alongside Spain’s Osa, with the pair working together for the remainder of the race. 

“Going into the race, my main aim was making that front group and then I wanted to just stage there for as long as I can. After that first portage, it was all about race management and conserving the energy to get through the distance,” Katie explained.

In increasingly demanding conditions, Brookes and Kreft kept within the race to secure strong final positions. Katie crossed the line in an outstanding 6th place less than five minutes behind Norway’s Sletsjoe in the gold position, marking her best-ever international result and an exceptional senior K1 debut. Kreft secured 10th place in a strong time. 

“I think everyone’s found it quite hot out here racing but it was flat so I enjoyed it… I am pleased I made the front group and I was able to move around the group with more confidence than I have had in previous years and I just really enjoyed the racing.”

Both will return to race in the Senior Women’s K2, with Brookes partnering Sam Martyn (Wey Kayak Club) and Kreft teaming up with Sophie Dunlop (Elmbridge Canoe Club).

Katie also wanted to give the staff supporting the team a special mention too: “Also shoutout to all the staff out here, particularly Katie Williams, Matt Enoch on the drink changes, and Collette [Johnson] and Chris [Johnson] for all the driving, and Zac [Benstead] for the good vibes.”

The heat showed no signs of easing as the Senior Men’s K1 competitors took to the water, with defending 2025 European Champion James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) and Matt Collinge (Fowey River Canoe Club) representing Great Britain in the challenging conditions. Collinge made an exceptional start, immediately positioning himself within the front group and challenging the big names in the field. Russell initially settled into the back washes before making a decisive move to improve his position ahead of the first turn.

Reflecting on his race strategy, Russell said: “I was down the course yesterday watching the racing so I could see that it would change a lot in the latter laps so certainly not panicking in laps one or two when I was feeling a bit dizzy and sick, I just needed to relax, settle into my own race with the knowledge that it would come back together.”

However, the size and speed of the lead group caused it to fragment early, leaving both British athletes working within chase groups for much of the race. As the relentless pace and extreme heat took their toll, retirements began to increase across the field. Collinge showed impressive determination, at a latter stage finding himself paddling alone after others in his group dropped out, yet he maintained a steady speed and held a consistent gap to those ahead.

“It was a very tricky race, certainly a lot of management going on. If you pushed too hard too early, you would definitely blow up. There were many retirements.”

Both athletes delivered strong performances in tough conditions, with Russell finishing in 6th place and Collinge securing 9th. 

The Championships now move into the final day of racing, with the remaining K2 events set to take place. Great Britain will have five boats competing across the Junior Men’s K2, Senior Women’s K2 and Senior Men’s K2 events. To account for the heat, the senior races have been shortened by one lap for the women and two laps for the men. Both races now have a portage on the first lap too. You can follow the racing live via Paddle Europe’s YouTube channel, with results published throughout the Championships via the Memosoft Spotfokus app.