There are two main types of racing that club members are involved in, Marathon and Sprint. Within both of these types, there are many different races and events that can be competed in. We have given a breif preview of the main ones below:

Marathon Racing

The National Hasler Series:

The National Hasler series is designed for both individuals and clubs around the Country to compete with each other. All clubs nationwide are split into  regions, of which we are part of the Midlands. Races are held at every club in the region annually, where paddlers can contribute points won, dependant of finishing position, to a club total. The clubs within the region compete to secure a place in the Hasler Final, a competition where the best clubs and paddlers come together in one big race at the end of the season.

Hasler races are ran on Sundays, and the dates for these can be found here. The races are split into 10 divisions, 10 being the ‘slowest’, 1 being the ‘quickest’. Most paddlers will start in division 9, as divison 10 is only for U12 paddlers. As paddlers become better, and start winning races, they are promoted to the next higher division based on an algorithm ran on the results. The main difference between the divisons apart from speed is that divisions 1-3 race 12 miles, 4-6 race 8 miles and 6-9 race 4 miles. Divisions 1-6 also have to do a portage, this is when you get out of your boat and run with it. 

How to get Involved

Dave Smith, our Marathon Racing Captain will be able to tell you about events as they come up. It is best to enter in advance but it is often possible to enter on the day. Keep an eye on our Facebook group for information on how to enter or they will be a sign up sheet in the gym the week before each race.

If you are unsure of which ones to do as a beginner just ask any of the club members, they will be able to give recommendations on which ones to do. Of course a great one to try as a first is the Worcester Hasler.

Club members will need to purchase a Club Vest and Number Board, both which can be purchased from David.

Devises to Westminster (DW)

The DW is a 125 mile race which takes place every Easter. The club regularly has crews entered and typically has had everything from crews that just want the challenge of completing the race through to race winners. This link will take you to the DW website where you can find out more.

In the lead up to the event there is a series of races that cover the same course these are the Watersides and Thameside races. They start at 13 miles and get progressively longer as you get closer to the DW race itself. Again we often field crews and the Races pages are found here.

Sprint Racing

Sprint Racing in the Midlands is largely based on the National Series at Nottingham. You will need to meet a minimum standard to race in your given catagory (ask Steve for the qualification times) and you need to enter well in advance.  The dates can be found here. The regattas take place 4 times per year in April, June, July and September, in which some of the best paddlers in the country, including Olympians and World Champions take part.

Steven Green is our sprint race captain who sorts the entries for the club. Entries for the Sprint Regattas close 2 weeks before the start, so paddlers need to enter early. There will be an announcement that entries have opened on our Facebook group and if you are interested you can message or email Steve.

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