James Russell makes British history becoming European Champion in the Senior Men’s K1 at the Canoe Marathon European Championships
James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) was victorious in the K1 Senior Men race on Saturday of the 2025 Canoe Marathon European Championships, becoming the first Brit to claim the title ever. Will Short (Elmbridge Canoe Club) also continued to add to the impressive results from the team as he took the silver medal in the K1 Junior Men race at the start of the day.
The spectators packed the traditional and well-known Ponte-de-Lima bridge for the start of the last race of Saturday and it was the turn of the K1 Senior Men. Representing Great Britain were seasoned international racers, James Russell (Chelmsford Canoe Club) and Matt Johnson (Nottingham Kayak Club). Matt even had the privilege of having the on-board camera for the live stream during his race so as the race got underway we got great shots of his start and how he moved onto the front wash in the lead group. James had a dominant start, finding himself on the front washes from the beginning.
A large group into the first turn meant the back washes were strung out on the start of the upstream stretch. James survived well through the relentless changes of pace throughout the laps into the first portage, whereas Matt dropped back into a respectable chase group. The race has already been deemed one of the best tactical Senior Men K1 races for years, with a highly competitive front group that stretched the field early. Constant wash changing and smart decisions took a lot of energy out of the field but made an exciting race for those watching. It ended up coming down the final portage, turn and sprint in. Not even the commentary could call it.
A tactical masterclass and raw turn of speed saw James surge past Romahlo from Portugal and Vold for Norway to claim the European Title in a time of 02:06:32 over the 29.8km course. Matt put down a strong finish to secure 15th position in a time of 02:11:30.
Reflecting on his historic win, James said: “It feels pretty amazing at this point. I am also quite tired so I have a bit of a mix of feelings at the moment but I didn’t know that [I am the first Brit to take the title] going in or after. That’s quite a cool thing to hold and I am really really excited about it.”
“Quite a lot [was going through my mind coming into the last portage and final sprint]. The whole sort of last two laps when it came back together was quite hectic, so much battling for the lead. I just sort of picked my moment and tried to make it stick, which I did going into the last portage. Then I was focusing on getting back in with the group. I knew I had a big finish in me after the short course racing so I was trying to stay attached to the leaders so I could use that in the last hundred metres and it all worked out.”
“I want to give a big shout out to the two canoe clubs. I have been through Chelmsford [canoe club], where I grew up and where I learnt a lot of the racing skills and then my current club at the moment, Nottingham [Kayak Club]. We’ve got a big training group there and I think that definitely paid off today when the group of eight started happening the last two laps. I am lucky enough to train with more than eight people on a regular basis so I think that paid off today.”
The standard distance race in the Junior Men’s K1 category covered 22.6 km and included five portages. Great Britain was represented by Will Short of Elmbridge Canoe Club, fresh off his victory as the newly-crowned Junior Men’s K1 Short Course European Champion, and Alex Worgan of Richmond Canoe Club.
With a large field of over 24 boats on the start line, competition for the front washes was fierce. Will launched off the line and quickly secured his place in the lead group. Alex faced a more challenging start but worked hard to get on the wash before the first turn.
As the race progressed upstream, the leading pack began to stretch out and fragment. Will managed to maintain his position in the front group, while Alex found himself dropped back into a chasing pack. The intensity of the portages at the front of the race created a high-stress environment, but Will remained composed and focused throughout.
The medals came down to a final portage and an all-out sprint to the finish. Will delivered a strong run to position himself alongside reigning World Champion Candela of Italy. In a thrilling final push, Candela edged ahead with a slightly quicker sprint finish. Will claimed the silver medal in a time of 1:38:50, adding yet another international medal to his growing collection. Alex continued to fight all the way to the line, finishing a commendable 9th in 1:42:44. Both athletes are set to join forces in the K2 race tomorrow morning, promising more exciting action to come.
Reflecting on his race, Will said: “It was very different to the short course [on Thursday] as there was a much bigger group for a lot longer. [Tomorrow] the plan is to stay safe in the first couple of laps and then see what we can do towards the end [in the K2].”
Racing alongside the Junior Men K1, the Senior Women’s C1 event saw Beth Gill of Nottingham Kayak Club return to international marathon competition following injury. Beth got away cleanly from the start line, but a tough battle for wash around the top turn saw her slip back in the field. Despite the setback, she showed determination and resilience, powering through the race to finish in a time of 1:27:45. With her return to form underway, we look forward to seeing Beth competing at the front of the international marathon scene once again.
In a fiercely competitive Junior Women’s K2 race, Britain was represented by two boats. Kamila Sklenarova of Norwich Canoe Club paired with marathon debutant Frankie Scrivener of Falcon Canoe Club, while Elmbridge Canoe Club’s Sophie Dunlop teamed up with 15-year-old Matilda Burton, making her international debut.
Sophie and Matilda got off to a fantastic start, confidently securing a spot in the front group. Kamila and Frankie experienced some early incidents but skillfully latched onto the wash of a Hungarian K2, allowing them to bridge up to the leaders. A tight group of over ten boats remained intact through the first lap, but the pace and tactical turns eventually caused a split before the first portage.
Both British crews found themselves in the chase group, working hard to stay in contention. Kamila and Frankie crossed the line in 6th place with a time of 1:33:05, closely followed by Sophie and Matilda, who finished 8th in 1:33:17.
After her race, Frankie said: “It went very well. We had clean portages on all of them and we stayed calm. We had a good race. The flow [is a particular challenge]. We had to be careful on both turns, and had to learn which arch is best to take the quickest line. We practiced it on the water before the race and tested it out as well as having other opinions from the seniors of how they found the course and learning from them.”
The Senior Women’s K1 featured a small yet highly competitive field. Melissa Johnson of Nottingham Kayak Club represented Great Britain for the third consecutive year at the European Canoe Marathon Championships. The race began with a battle for position, and Melissa found herself contesting the back washes of the front group alongside Denmark’s Winther. As the race unfolded, the front group fractured due to a mix of high pace and capsizes. Melissa remained composed, staying in the hunt within the chase pack.
A powerful final lap saw her reel in Czechia paddler Katrina Milova, and the two engaged in a head-to-head sprint to the finish. Melissa surged ahead to take 8th place, crossing the line in a time of 2:09:53, which is another strong performance on the European stage.
To see the full results from Saturday’s racing, you can visit the Memosoft results site here.
Sunday will see the last few races of the championship and the turn of the K2’s for both the Junior Boys, Senior Women and Senior Men. It will certainly be an action-packed day of racing. Follow all the live action on the PaddleUK social media channels and Canoe Europe’s YouTube livestream.
Good luck to all our athletes!
