Whatever your age or ability there is a race for you!

 There are 2 sorts of racing and they are called MARATHON and SPRINT. 

A beginners guide to .... MARATHON RACING

In MARATHON racing kayaks race in groups all together, and as you get more experienced there are PORTAGES as well where you have to get out, run with your boat, and then get back in.  You can choose to race either in K1 or K2.

Under 12 and under 10 paddlers have their own special races called LIGHTNING races named after the kayaks they paddle. There are separate races for boys and girls.

If you're 12 of under you'll paddle in the LIGHTNING races. These races are 2.5 k long. Sometimes there is a Hody K2 race for the Under 12 paddlers well.

If you're over 12 or an adult you'll be in a race with people of your ability who have never raced before, or only a few times.  This is because you'll start in Division 9 where men and women race together as it's based on ability and not age. If you do well in Division 9 you get promotion to Division 8, and so on right up to Division 1. Division 9, 8 and 7 race over a distance of 6.5 k. You can choose to race Division 9 in either K1 or K2.

If you win Division 1 at the National Championships you are the National Champion.  This year a Norwich paddler, Tim Pendle became Senior Mens Nationals Champion.

There are lots of marathon races throughout the year and usually on Sundays. The ones in the Eastern region are at: Chelmsford, Cambridge, Bedford, Huntingdon, Leighton Buzzard, and our own race in Norwich. There are also two big National Marathon Races. The Hasler FInals and the National Marathon Championships.  The dates and details of the races coming up are advertised on our website and on the notice boards at the club.

So what do I do if I want to race?

Putting in an entry

There is a list put up in the club two weeks before every race where you can sign your name. This means you will get an entry put in for you. There is an entry fee to race. normally between £3.00 and £8.00 depending on your age.

Getting your boat there

You can use a club boat, paddles and you must wear a BUOYANCY AID. If you need help getting your boat, paddles and buoyancy aid to the race, the club usually takes a trailer, and for a small fee we can take your boat for you. This is normally between £5 and £8 depending on how far away the race is. There is a trailer list up for each race so you can sign your name on that one too. Make sure you tie on your own boat at the club when the trailer is being loaded and after the race too.

What else?

A number board

On the back of your boat is a slot for a number board.  For your first race you should be able to borrow a spare number board from someone else in the club. At many races you can buy your own number board. They are usually yellow and blank so you can write your own number on.

Getting there and the check in

Aim to arrive at the race an hour and a half before your race. You can make your own way there or you can arrange with someone else at the club to get a lift. There are usually spare places in cars, but either way make sure you have had breakfast and something to drink.  When you arrive go and check in at the entry desk. You pay your entry fee, and they give you a number which you write on your number board and put on the back of your boat. For some races, the Team Leader will check everybody in and pay for everyone. If this happens the Team Leader will tell your your number and collect the entry fee from you.

The Briefing

Before every race there is a briefing given by the race organisers. This will tell you exactly what the course is and anything else you need to know before your race.  This is usually half an hour before the start.  Listen to the start order which is the order the races go in so you know when to line up on the start line.

Warm up

Get your boat on the water after the briefing and warm up. Try a few practice starts so you are really ready to go.  If you are in division 9 you will know who is also in your race because all the Division 9's have a race number that starts with a 9.

Have fun! Enjoy your race no matter what happens. And once you've raced once they'll be no stopping you.

And Then... Once Your More Experienced

Then there are lots of other MARATHON races you can do as well. Some of these are one way races where you need a support crew to follow you down and pick you up at the other end such as The Trent K2 race, The Frank Luzmore K2 Race, and Waterside 'A' on the canal near Newbury.  These are longer races so you'll need more training for them.

The Hasler Finals

This is a big National Race that's held once a year and the club always sends a huge team. However you have to qualify to race by doing three (or more) of the Eastern Region Marathons listed earlier. If you do 3 K1 races that qualifies you to race K1 at the Hasler Finals. If you do 3 K2 races or a mixture of K1 and K2 races that means you qualify to race K2 at the Hasler Finals. All the races at the Hasler Finals are in Divisions. It's a very exciting day at the club won the competition in 2009 and 2010.

The National Marathon Championships

This is held over 2 days and most people camp. The club sends a huge team and we became NATIONAL MARATHON TEAM CHAMPIONS in 2011. On Saturday it's all K1 races and on the Sunday it's all K2. Most people race on both days.  It's the only race of the year when all the races are in age groups and there are separate races for men and women and boys and girls. There are a huge number of age groups too, Under 10, U12, U14, U16, U18, U23, Senior, Over 34, O39, O44, O49, O54, O59, O64, O69 . In 2012 the National Championships are being held in Norwich so we'd really like you to come and race for us.

A beginners guide to .. SPRINT RACING.

This will be added soon!