marathon-canoeing.org.uk

Reproduced with kind permission from the Waterside Series website

Paddling Etiquette – A Guide for Watersides

Let’s start with a few fundamentals.

• Canoeing is a non contact sport.

• Paddlers must race in a fair manner at all times.

• It is the duty of overtaking craft to keep clear of others at all times.

• If you see any crew in safety related difficulties it is your absolute duty to help them.

Right, we have these basics and added to this is the Watersides principle that no paddler is more or less

important than any other.  So, how do we apply this ?

So you are ready for your first marathon race. You’ve done all of the training, you’ve done the practise, what do you do next?  Races are run to be as friendly as possible but you can do your bit to try to make the process as easy as possible.

Before the race starts it is a good idea to look at the racing standards chart (in the sprint section of the racing handbook under section D1) where you will be able to work out which division you should be in rather than starting in division 9.   For example, if you can cover 1000m in under 5 minutes and 30 seconds you should be in division 6.

You then need to select a marathon event.  Hasler racing is organised on a regional basis so you should have up to ten races a year within your locality.  Hasler racing is set up so that novice paddlers come into the sport and race over 6.5km in a safe environment without any portages.  Portaging involves paddlers getting out of their boats, running a short distance with the boat (originally to get over lock gates in canals) and getting back onto the water.   All paddlers ranked below division 7 must wear a buoyancy aid.

Good choice. Marathon Canoeing is fun right from beginner to international level, a physically and mentally challenging sport, and it gets you a beautiful, nature-rich environment you don't usually get to see from roads or footpaths.

The best first step would be to find a local club (click here for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland), or contact one of our regional representatives who can give more detailed advice depending on your preferences and abilities.

Clubs usually hold a stock of boats and paddles for beginner members. The highest performance Marathon Canoe Racing boats are designed for speed: long, thin and unstable for beginners. But like a bicycle, with a bit of practice and hopefully very few swims you get the hang of it. So it's usually better to wait until you've reached a level you're comfortable with before investing in your own equipment. When you do, you'll find a list of suppliers on this site.

Marathon Canoeing includes Kayaking (using a paddle with two blades) and Canoeing (using a single blade). There are also races for singles (classified as K1 and C1), and doubles (K2 and C2). Very occasionally there are also K4 marathon races. Races are organised all over the country, typically every weekend between March and October and a few over the winter too. Click here to see the racing calendar.

Beginners and juniors are encouraged to wear buoyancy aids (and racing rules require it for younger paddlers and those in lower divisions). A marathon racer doesn't usually have to rely on one to stay afloat, the aim is to stay in the boat and get to the finish. More advanced and adult paddlers may choose not to wear one, once they are comfortable with the boat they are in and the water they are on.