Author: levente

The Reading Canoe Club’s paddlers were successful at the recent Wokingham Hasler on the 7th of June just next door to our own club a but further down the Thames. 41 club members participated and our members brought away no fewer than 16 podium places.

In division 2, Tyler Kinder finished first followed by Doogal Barnett in second. in Div 3 Jack Morgan finished 3rd. In Div 4 Ruth Shephard came in 2nd and in Div 5 Nigel Markey came in 1st.

In Div 7 Xavier MacLeod won 1st place and Baldur Gudbjornsson came 3rd. Thomas Coddington came 2nd in Div 8 and Benjamin Boughton came 3rd in Div 9.

Among the doubles, Conrad Packer and Aidan Teeuwen came first in Div 3 and so did Amber Owen and Luke Rockey in Div 4. In Div 5 Ricardo Grau-Crespo and Craig Robertson came 2nd while Peter Stanway and Eric Field came 3rd.

Div 6 saw a similar result with Nick Wright and Lisa Munga coming in 2nd while Nikki Tyrell and Trevor Mills coming in 3rd place. In Div 8, Kerstin Kubisch and Katherine Martin got to the top of the podium and in Geoff Saunders Div C Peter Shephard finished 1st too.

Our members earned numerous promotions with these results too and a very special shout out goes to Marcell Nagy who has been promoted to Div 1 based on his results in this race.

Congratulations to all who have raced and for all the results and promotions! Next up is the Falcon Hasler in Oxford on the 21st of June!

Thanks to Baldur Gudbjornsson for the photo – you can find a great album with photos and videos about the race here: Wokingham Hasler 2026 – Google Photos

From: Karina Phillips (Race Organiser), Imogen Collins (Lead Coach), Mims Graham (Volunteer Coordinator), Evan Shephard (Marathon Team Lead)

On May 24^th the Club held its annual Reading Circuit race, our entry to the hasler series of marathon races. The race was a fantastic showcase of teamwork, determination and community spirit, bringing together 206 competitors across 172 entries from 20 different clubs for an action-packed day of 21 races on one river with two portages. Backed by dozens of helpers from the club members, many weeks of preparation, and beautiful weather.

We would like to thank all participants, supporters and foremost our volunteers who made this race possible, safe and such great fun.

Reading Canoe Club Results

With 46 paddlers, 596 paddler points and 10 Hasler points, Reading CC topped the club standings and set the tone for a brilliant day on the Thames.

🥇 Divisional Wins

RDG paddlers took multiple podium places across divisions, including:

• Div 2 – Marcell Nagy (1^st with 01:33:27)
• Div 3 – Conrad Packer (3rd, 50 pts)
• Div 4 – Kevin Smith (2nd, 49 pts)
• Div 6 – Nigel Markey (3rd, 49 pts)
• Div 9 – Thomas Coddington (2nd, 49 pts)

And in K2s, RDG absolutely cleaned up:

• Div 2_2 K2 – Fergus Barnett & Henry Hartland (2nd, 49 pts)
• Div 3_3 K2 – Benedek Nagy & Maximus Prins‑Mills (1^st, 50 + 50 pts)
• Div 4_4 K2 – Imogen Collins & Luke Rockey (1^st, 50 + 50 pts)
• Div 4_4 K2 – Ruth Shephard & Tilla Marie Kubisch‑Wiles (2^nd, 49 + 49 pts)
• Div 6_6 K2 – Lisa Bramley & Jeremy Harmsworth (2^nd 49 + 49 pts)
• Div 6_6 K2 – Timea Muszkane & Ricardo Grau‑Crespo (3rd, 48 + 48 pts)
• Div 7_7 K2 – Aryahi Chavan & Grigory Vayner (1^st, 50 + 50 pts)
• GS DivC – Peter Shephard (1^st, 50 pts)
• GS K2 Mini – Peter Shephard & Gauravi Jha (2nd)

You can find the full list of results at https://reading-canoe.org.uk/live-results

We had many more finishers still earning points for the club and we also had many Reading members who have raced for the first time. Congratulations to all!

From: Imogen Collins – Lead Coach

Reading Canoe Club had 4 Junior athletes heading out to Amsterdam, Tyler Kinder, Marcell Nagy, Ruth Shephard and Doogal Barnett. All athletes delivered a strong showing at the 2026 Amsterdam Waterland Marathon, taking on one of Europe’s classic marathon courses — a 24 km route defined by tactical group racing, narrow polder sections, and two decisive portages.

The race starts on the North-Hollands Kanaal and winds through the Waterland region before finishing at KV Viking Canoe Club in Amsterdam, demanding both speed and technical precision.

The Amsterdam Waterland Marathon is known for its blend of flatwater speed and tactical nuance:

• Two portages on the long course — around Monnickendam and the Ilpendam wetlands — frequently break up groups.
• Narrow nature corridors force smart line choice and efficient overtaking.
• Fast finishing water rewards athletes who can hold contact through the final transitions. 

Marcell Nagy of the Reading Canoe Club has achieved 3^rd place with 1:49:12.5 while a number of other paddlers from the club gained valuable experience racing this unique course in April.

If you want a glimpse into the nature of the race, head over to their webpage and check out their “aftermovie”: Amsterdam Waterland Marathon – you may recognise a few faces… 😉

Photo Credit: Viktoria Honigh

From: Karina Phillips – Race Organiser

We are excited about the weekend and welcoming all of you to race on the Thames at the Reading Circuit. Please submit your entries by tonight for the regular entries or by Sunday morning for the late entries if you haven’t done so already.

It looks like the weather may be favourable and we will see sunshine and warmth – it may even get a bit hot. Please be ready for the weather and make sure to hydrate not just throughout race day but in the days leading up to it. We will have drinking water available at the prom across from the Clubhouse so be sure to bring a reusable water bottle. We will also have drinks available for purchase while the supplies last and also hot beverages.

Remember to apply a high factor sunscreen liberally before leaving home and also regularly throughout the day.

We encourage clubs to bring their own gazebos so they can be used for shade.

Keep an eye out for signs of heat stroke – you can find guidance on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/

We will have first aiders on site so if you or your team need any help, just let one of the marshals or organisers know.

Only a few more hours to go and we will see you at the race!

Karina

From: Julia Mazur – Sprint Team Lead

Reading Canoe Club’s juniors delivered an excellent set of results at the most recent Sprint Regatta, showcasing depth, determination, and clear progress across all age groups.

Racing in U18 selection races for European and World Championships, several RCC paddlers earned places in the high-stakes K1 race-offs taking place on the 29th of May:

• Oli Mazur qualified for three K1 race-offs
• Sam Dickson (an honorary RDG junior) secured two K1 race-offs
• Charlotte Fulford-Perez also earned two K1 race-offs
• Ruth Shephard gained one K1 race-off, as one of the youngest!

In addition, Oli Mazur, Tyler Kinder, Marcell Nagy, and Ruth Shephard all secured places in the Crewboat Pool — an important step towards national-level team selection.

Racing in the Boys C K2 1000m, a standout performance came from Samuel Boughton and Matteo Bellofatto, with a powerful race that turned heads across the course. On the individual side, Fergus Barnett produced exceptional races in both Boys B K1 1000m and K1 500m, securing two second spots in the finals.

These achievements reflect not only individual performances but also the strength of the club’s junior programme and coaching team. Every athlete who raced contributed to a very successful weekend overall.

Full official results can be found here: https://canoesprint.paddleuk.org.uk/

Sprint racing isn’t just for juniors, and with three more regattas coming up this season, with the inter clubs regatta in July, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and race in Reading colours! If you’re interested in taking part and representing Reading Canoe Club, please contact sprint team lead Julia Mazur or lead coach Imogen Collins for more details.

We would like to inform all paddlers that the Reading Circuit race has been moved from 10 May to 24 May due to an unforeseen logistical issue.

All current registrations have been updated to reflect the new date. Please review your entry at your convenience and contact us if you have any questions or if the change affects your ability to take part.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to the race on the new date.

Reading Canoe Club

Drum roll please 🥁 🥁 🥁

👋 I’m excited to announce that entries for the Reading Circuit Race (aka Hasler) are now open!

I’ve ordered the sunshine and a gentle flow… 🌞 Delivery is not guaranteed, unless we are in, so I need you to join me at the race. 😉

Regardless, the BBQ will be out and there will be racing galore for all the divisions and all of the boat types including SUPs… so what are you waiting for!?

Enter now at the Canoe Marathon Entries site!

If you have any questions or queries please reach out via info@reading-canoe.org.uk

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Karina (Lead organiser)

Dear Paddling Community, while the weather has improved a bit recently, the state of the Thames is still nowhere near anything that would provide for a safe race so with a heavy heart, we need to cancel the Thameside 2 race scheduled for the 1st of March. As previously and always, the safety of all paddlers is our top priority. It’s a shame that the weather has not been kind to us this year.
 
The Club would like to thank all volunteers and organisers who have been working in the background to make this race happen and we very much hope that you will join us for our Reading Circuit Race (Hasler) later in the year.
 
All entries will be notified with the Canoe Marathon Entries site and entry fees will be refunded via the system. Refunds will be processed today but they may take a few days to show on your account.

If you have any questions about the races or the decision, please reach out to us at info@reading-canoe.org.uk

Best regards, Reading Canoe Club