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News

URGENT – Waterlands 2026 Trip Staff Needed

   6 March 2026    Athlete Development, International, Volunteers

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:

  • A Paddle UK approved Safeguarding qualification and a Paddle UK DBS
  • A clean driving licence.
  • A first aid qualification would be desirable

All reasonable expenses will be met by the committee as part of the trips budget.

The provisional travel arrangements are:

  • Departing the UK in two minibuses and the boat trailer on Thursday 16th April via the Channel Tunnel and arriving in Amsterdam that evening.
  • Depart Amsterdam for the UK on the morning of Sunday 19th April.

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].

International Selection 2026 Policy now finalised and published

   6 March 2026    Athlete Development, Athletes, International, Selection

A number of updates have been made to the 2026 marathon selection policy, these reflect feedback received from members of the marathon paddling community during the consultation period. It is strongly advisable for all athletes to read and familiarise themselves with the finalised policy, which can now be viewed here.

Senior athletes seeking selection for both sprint and marathon teams are advised to review section 9 of the policy. 

Athletes seeking selection for the Waterlands marathon are advised to review section 11 of the policy. 

If anyone has any questions, please contact Nanette North, Chair of the selection panel via email: [email protected]

Paddle UK Safety Officer Workshop – 23rd & 25th February 2026

   20 February 2026    Organisation, Safety, Volunteers

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.

Marathon 2026 Selection Policy – Published for Consultation

   14 February 2026    Athletes, International, Para, Selection

The Marathon 2026 Selection Policy is now published for consultation. Members of the marathon community have until the end of Sunday 22nd February to feedback any comments to the marathon selection committee for review. Please send any comments directly to the selection committee chair via email: [email protected].

The full published draft policy can be found on our selection webpage here.

Junior Development Squad Winter Series Event 4 Sign up Now Live!

   14 February 2026    Athlete Development, Coaching, Racing

Sign up is now open for the fourth JDS winter series event for 2025/26. This will be taking place at the Norwich Canoe Club on Saturday 21st March and will be led by Matt Robinson & Scott Hynds, alongside the wider Junior Development Squad coaching team.

In addition to the event on the Saturday, Norwich Canoe Club will be running a sprint regatta on Sunday 22 March for juniors, in conjunction with hosting the BUCS regatta. Therefore, the JDS is partnering with Norwich CC to offer a full weekend of activity for juniors engaged in the JDS programme.

Saturday will focus on racing skills that can be applied at Sunday’s regatta and Sunday’s regatta will consist of  K1 500, K1 5000 and a K1 200 mixed relay. Both Saturday and Sunday will be in K1s.

The cost to attend the full weekend is £22.00, but there is also a ticket option for those who just want to attend Saturday’s JDS session.

Travel, accommodation and food are to be organised individually, unfortunately we cannot offer any of these as part of the weekend.

For standards to attend and to sign up, please click HERE. Sign up closes on Friday 13th March at 17:00.

Junior Development Squad (JDS) is a joint initiative between the Marathon Racing Committee, Sprint Racing Committee and Paddle England Talent. Having been running as a collaborative exercise since 2021, the JDS has supported hundreds of juniors from a wide spread of clubs to develop their racing skills, create long-term friendships and increase exposure to crew boats. For more information on JDS, please visit our website page here with further links onto the main JDS site.

Notice re Use of Powered Craft: Legal Accountability and Launch Operations 

   14 February 2026    Coaching, Organisation, Safety, Volunteers

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.

Trevor Wetherall

   11 February 2026    Athletes, Coaching, Volunteers

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.

Canoe Marathon Major National Events & Dates 2026 – Get them in your diary!

   14 January 2026    ACM, Athletes, Governance, National, Racing

The Marathon Racing Committee are excited to finally confirm all the dates and venues for the 2026 Major Events. The variety of venues and locations, particularly new ones, makes 2026 a great time to get racing as much as you can!

Thank you to Manvers Lake Trust and Boathouse, Wey Kayak Club and Richmond Canoe Club for supporting canoe marathon by hosting and organising one of our major national events this year.

Keep your eyes peeled for a confirmation of the ACM date and further details on all our major events in the coming months!

Junior Development Squad Winter Series Event 3 Sign up Now Live!

   14 January 2026    Athlete Development

Sign up is now open for the third JDS winter series event for 2025/26. This will be taking place at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham on Saturday 31st January.

As a joint-pathway initiative between the MRC, SRC and PaddeUK Talent, the Junior Development Squad hosts four winter training days and a summer camp every year for developing juniors across the country to take part in, learn more and develop friendships across clubs. For more information about JDS, visit our website post here.

The day in Nottingham will be in K4s, with one session having a skills and drills focus, while the other session will centre on race day planning and execution through a mixture of class room and water based learning.Imogen Collins and Sam Glover will be leading the coaching on the day.

We’re also looking to deliver a parent workshop in the morning of the day too with the title to be confirmed.

The cost to attend remains £10 per person.  

To see standards for entry and to sign up, please click HERE. Sign up closes on Friday 23rd January at 17:00.

25th Anniversary Ross Warland Memorial Canal Challenge Raises £1,500 for Bone Cancer Research as Records were Smashed

   7 December 2025    Athletes, Racing

On Sunday 30th November, Banbury & District Canoe Club hosted the 25th Anniversary of the Ross Warland Memorial Canal Challenge, with over 192 competitors taking part. The course ran 20 miles from Cropredy to Nell Bridge near Anyho and back, including 12 portages along the Oxford Canal. Paddlers travelled from across the country, from Truro to Norwich to Runcorn, with both international-level crews and newcomers to racing. The event raised almost £1,500 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust.

The race is held each year in memory of Ross Warland, who died of bone cancer in February 2000 at the age of 21. Ross joined Banbury Canoe Club at the age of 8 and was an active and popular member. When he was no longer able to paddle, he devoted his time to coaching and training others. His courage and attitude during his illness inspired everyone who knew him.

The format of the Challenge is distinctive, offering options for different abilities. Competitors can complete the full 20 miles in K1 or K2, race in relays over 10 miles, or enter special categories if clubs are short of paddlers. This makes the event particularly appealing to junior crews and those new to racing, providing valuable training in a competitive but welcoming environment.

This year’s race produced several notable results. Sam Dickson (Falcon Canoe Club) matched the Junior Men’s K1 record with a time of 02:33:22. Andrew Birkett (Richmond Canoe Club) set a new Veteran Men’s K1 record at 02:41:32. Elise Montagna (Royal Canoe Club) and Katie Brookes (Richmond Canoe Club) won the Senior Women’s K2 title in 02:42:25. Brynde Kreft (Falcon Canoe Club) set a new Senior Women’s K1 record at 02:51:29, while Frankie Scrivener (Falcon Canoe Club) broke the Junior Women’s K1 record with 03:07:39. Rebecca Bird (Newbury Canoe Club) and Anja Whelan (Gloucester Canoe Club) also set a new Veteran Women’s K2 record at 03:18:55.

The 25th Anniversary Canal Challenge was a successful day of racing and community spirit, continuing the tradition of honouring Ross Warland and supporting bone cancer research. The MRC would like to thank Banbury Canoe Club for their support in creating this write-up as well as their dedication to creating such a stable winter marathon event within the British racing calendar. 

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