The Marathon racing community have gathered in Reading this weekend for the long course National Championships
Hosted by Reading Canoe Club, the River Thames has set the scene for impressive high octane racing.
Racing canoe clubs came out in force across the age categories to fight for National Champion titles and cheer on their club mates.
Catch up on yesterday’s action from the K1, C1 and SUP events below.
Senior & U23
James Russell (Chelmsford) stormed to the win to retain his National Champion title in the Senior Men's K1 class for a third year in a row.
He's already had a successful racing season taking the win at the Waterlands Marathon earlier this year and racing internationally for sprint. Yesterday was no different.
A strong start to the race from Russell. He broke away with a group of three joined by Matt Johnson (Chelmsford) and Joe Petersen (Banbury).
This later broke down to the Chelmford duo coming into the second portage. Russell and Johnson worked together around the second large lap.
James pushed to secure the win on the final portage with a rapid run that put distance between himself and second place. He crossed the line with a time of 1:44:52.
Speaking after his race he said: “My plan was to go out and work hard. I know if I'm working hard then everyone else will be as well. I've had a few international races already this year on the sprint scene, so I know I'm going well. I just had to push myself and get round as quickly as I could.”
Russell will be heading out to represent Great Britain at the Marathon European Championships later this month. Looking ahead he said:
“I'm really looking forward to the short course, I've had a couple fourth places on the 5k sprint scene, so taking some of the top sprint guys out of the field and I think that puts me right in the front end mix so I’m looking forward to that.”
Watch the full interview here.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/D-Starts-4669-1024x702.jpg)
The Seniors and U23s raced over 25.2km, which included two large laps of the River Thames and four portages. Matt Johnson finished the course in second with a time of 1:45:40.
Third place went to Matt Collinge of Fowey. He powered round in a chase group of four and a final push round the last turn allowed him to break away and secure a podium finish.
In the Senior Women's race Melissa Johnson was once again crowned National Champion.
Melissa has already had spectacular success this marathon season, earning the short course National title in May and then going on to win Silver at the World Cup in Brandenburg. She adds Senior Women's long course National Champion to her list of accolades for the second year in a row.
The Senior Women were joined by the U23 Women for a combined start.
A leading group of four formed round their first large lap made up of seniors Johnson and Brynde Kreft (Oxford Falcon) and U23s Katie Brookes (Exeter) and Freya Peters (Richmond).
They worked together around the course as a four until the final portage which saw a fantastically strong run from Melissa to split up the group.
Johnson and Brookes made a break for it after the portage get in which secured them both National titles in their respective age categories.
It was seconds between them as Johnson finished in a time of 2:04:12 and Brookes in 2:04:14.
Speaking after being crowned Senior National Champion Melissa Johnson said:
“It was good in a nice group of four all the way around. I didn't really do that much until the sprint finish to keep it nice and clean.”
“I think I'm the fastest I've ever been so I'm looking forward to the European Championships. I hope it's going to be similar to the World Cup as I did quite well there”
Watch the full interview here.
Second in the senior Women's went to Brynde Kreft who followed close behind with a time of 2:04:41 Third place was Wey's Samantha Martyn, completing the course in 02:13:02.
The U23 silver went to Freya Peters who posted a 2:04:46 time and a dedicated performance from Lucy Guest (Nottingham) saw her take bronze completing the course in 2:09:03.
Melissa and Katie will be back in action at the European Marathon National Championships later this month.
Looking strong ahead of his European Championship debut at Under 23 level, Harry Freeland (Elmbridge) stormed to claim the Men's U23 National Champion title yesterday.
He broke away with Norwich's Tim Dowden early on and the duo kept the pace high throughout the 25.2km race. Ultimately a sprint finish decided it.
Freeland finished with a time of 1:54:52. Dowden was only a second behind clocking 1:54:53.
Oxford Falcon's Gabriel Popham-Coveley took home the bronze after a strong final stretch of the race. He posted a time of 1:55:27.
In the Senior C1 races Fladbury's George Bell became National Champion completing the 12.6km course in 1:09:09. And it was a home win for Anna Palmer of Reading in the Women's race. A time of 1:11:54 earned her the National Champion title.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/D-Starts-6867-1024x507.jpg)
Junior
The U18's took on a 21km course that saw Nottingham's Joe Enoch reigns victorious once again in the Men's class. After a group of four formed early on Enoch kept the pace high all the way to the finish line to take the win with a time of 1:28:37.
Kamila Sklenarova (Norwich) is the U18 Women's K1 National Champion after a hard fought race in a strong group of paddlers. It was a sprint finish for the win and she claimed it with a time of 1:41:07.
An 8km course for the U18 C1 race paved the way for Owen Chisholm (Richmond) to earn the National title. A swift race saw him finish in 0:39:39.
On to the U16s, Will Roeser (Wey) proves marathon talent runs in the family after going clear in his Men's K1 race to finish first with a time of 0:56:24. It was a home win for Reading's Charlotte Fulford-Perez as she claimed the national title in a time of 1:07:28 over 13km.
The new U14 Women's National Champion is Matilda Burton. A great race from the Elmbridge paddler saw her finish in 0:39:40. It was also a strong race from Royal's Lorenzo De Bilio as he claimed the National Champion title in the Men's U14 K1 class with a time of 0:37:48.
Worcester's Fergus Barnett claimed a National title in the U12 K1 Men's age group. He posted a time of 00:41:23. Lexi Small (Wolverhampton) earnt her Women's U12 National title in a time of 0:47:45.
Both the U14 and U12 competed over a 8km course.
The U10 Junior Men's National Champion is Noel Barat-Farkas. He completed the 3.3km course in just 0:22:33. Astrid Bartsch-Cotta from Oxford Falcon was the Women's Champion with a time of 00:26:55.
A Mini K1 introductory event also took place yesterday and both juniors competed very well. Ealing's Benjamin Fel (Ealing) took the win with Benjamin Boughton (Richmond) in second.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/D-Starts-6878-1024x637.jpg)
Masters
There were plenty of medals to be won in the masters classes too. Athletes in the O34 and O39 Men's races took on a 21km course on the River Thames. It consisted of one full lap and one shorter lap with three portages.
The O34 and O39 women took on a 12.6km course alongside the O44 and O49 races classes. Their race consisted of one full lap and two portages.
The remaining race classes competed over 8km, completing one shorter lap of the course.
Find out who came out victorious below…
In the O34 class Andrew Birkett (Richmond) took the Men's National Title posting a time of 1:01:38. In the Women's race it was Bishop Stortford's Kat Wilson earning the National Title. She finished an epic three minutes ahead of the field with a time of 1:04:25.
Stephen Tebbett is the new O39 Men's National Champion, finishing his race in a time of 1:37:01. Joining him atop the podium in the women's race was Emma Watts with a time of 1:13:03 making it a double Wey win.
In the O44 racing class both Matt Enoch (Nottingham) and Rachel Lovell (Worcester) were able to retain their National Champion titles with back to back wins. They finished with times of 0:57:31 and 1:02:42 respectively.
The O49 National Champion in the Men's category was Richmond's Steve Baker posting 0:59:25. Trish Davey of Exeter became the Women's National Champion with a time of 1:07:40.
The O54's were up next. Inge Hermans (Nottingham) took home the Women's National Champion title and finished her race in 00:42:46. In the Men's race Duncan Roeser (Wey) came out victorious. He clocked a time of 00:37:34.
In the O59 we saw further back to back titles claimed from reigning National Champions in both Male and Female race categories. Neil Blackman (Royal Leamington Spa) brought it home once again with a time of 00:37:03. Tina Parsons (Nottingham) also reclaimed her National title with a time of 00:40:33.
Stan Missen (Bradford Upon Avon) was first across the line in the Men's O64 race. He finished in 00:38:35. Poole's Mocha Pilkington had a great race that saw her claim the Women's National title. She completed the course in 00:43:25.
Wendy Dodson (Addlestone) was also able to reclaim her National Champion title this year as she powered to the finish of the O69 Women’s race. She took the win in 00:49:07. In the Men's O69 race Melvin Swallow (Chester) topped the podium, posting a time of 00:43:25.
Last but certainly not least for the Masters, Mike Purchas (Bradford on Avon) became a back to back National Champion in the O74 Men's race. He completed the course in 00:43:21.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/B-Starts-4571-1024x564.jpg)
Open
This year an Open B class was introduced on a trial basis. They raced over a 12.6km course and were restricted to Division 4 and below for Men and Division 5 and below for Women.
Over 12.6km it was Lauren Avery (Chelmsford) who took the win in the Women's Open B class. She finished with a time of 1:10:47. Luke Rockey of Reading was the Men's Open B class winner. He completed the course in a time of 1:06:05.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/A-Starts-5463-1-1024x521.jpg)
SUP
Stand Up Paddleboarding also made its debut at the Marathon National Championships this weekend. It was great to see four paddleboarders take to the water to tackle the 8km distance. In the Rigid SUP category Nick Judd (SMC) took the win with a time of 00:52:24. There was also an inflatable SUP category that saw Jack Prosser (Richmond) finish first with a time of 00:54:28.
![](https://paddleuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/C-Starts-4636-1-1024x575.jpg)
A final shout out to Wey Kayak Club for topping the leaderboard of most club points collected throughout the day! Todays points will depend in who secures the overall weekend prize.
It was a fantastic day of racing and as the K2/C2 crewboats take to the water today you can look forward to even more action packed races. Follow along live by heading over to the Marathon Racing Committee social pages.
All the results from Day one of the National Championships can be found here.
A huge thank you to Reading Canoe Club for hosting and to the Marathon Racing Committee.