We were delighted to welcome 30 new junior paddlers to the Club on Wednesday 27th May to have a taste of the sport. The weather couldn’t have been better – perfect for getting wet and cooling down.
Thanks so much for Tilla and Beni heading up the coaching, plus all the other essential support coaches and Kerstin on land.
Judging by the photos, they had an excellent time and hopefully will come back to the club for a regular course or summer intensive course.
Wednesday 27th May 2026
As part of Reading Children’s Festival, Reading Canoe Club is putting on kayak ‘taster’ sessions. These hour-long sessions give 9-17 year olds the opportunity to try out the sport. Sessions cost £5 per child.
To book a place fill in the form here
Times of sessions are:
10am-11.15am
11.45am-1pm
1.45pm-3pm
Maximum 10 children per session. These are only bookable in advance.
We’re delighted to announce dates for this year’s adult and junior kayak beginner courses.
Got to https://reading-canoe.org.uk/start-paddling/ for more information on the courses and dates available and how to sign up.
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛’𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧!
Both Thameside 1 and Thameside 2 are great stand-alone, long distance races, and also great training in your DW build up!
Thameside 1 takes place on 15th February. Entries are now open and can be found on Canoe Marathon – https://entries.canoemarathon.org.uk/…/thameside-1-2026…
More details:
Thameside 2 is on March 1st so please save the date. More details and entries coming soon.
Under a chilly blanket of fog, a flock of juniors and less junior paddlers went for an early morning paddle shepherded by Nigel. A few laps of the prom in the flow, slogging upstream, flying back down, trying to burn off a few calories before a delicious cooked breakfast.
Huge thanks to the shoppers, cooks, hall deckers, washer uppers and tidy uppers. The food was amazing, the cracker jokes terrible and it kicked off the Christmas season in true RCC style.
Saturday 29th November was the big night … drum roll … the night all the Trophies of the year would be announced at Reading Canoe Club. There was a new ‘game’ theme too, delivered to perfection by our compère, with décor in the hall to match.
72 members and guests turned up for a great evening out, complete in their gaming, Christmasy outfits, eager to hear a round-up of the year’s events, the wins and successes, as well as the ultimate – those Trophy awards.
Imogen did a fantastic job, talking us through, with a little bit of help from coaches giving the highlights from their training groups.
This was followed by a three-course supper (highlight the Portuguese tart!) and more fun and games in front of the polaroid camera.
Thank you hugely to the key organisers Imogen and Amber, and the whole team who put the evening together.
Trophy winners:
Cruse Cup (for most hasler points scored) – Aidan Teeuwen
Swimmer of the Year – Bruno Paczolay
Marathon Paddler of the Year – Marcel Nagy
Veteran Paddler of the Year – Ben Saxby
Junior Paddler of the Year – Ruth Shephard
Sprint Paddler of the Year – Oli Mazur
Most Improved Junior Paddler of the Year – Jack Morgan
Most Improved Adult Paddler of the year – Nikki Tyrell
K2 of the Year – Sam Boughton and Matteo Bellofatto
Bill Mowbray Trophy (for the best DW race) – Radek Zielski
Jean Boatman Trophy – Aryahi Chavan
Ashes Trophy (for always going just that bit further to help … all the time) – Trevor Mills
Club Colours:
Katherine Martin
Karina Phillips
Ben Saxby
Joe Webb
Nikki Tyrell
Nigel Markey
Xavier MacLeod
Annual Awards night – Saturday 29th November
Club Christmas breakfast – Saturday 13th December, after morning sessions
Details out soon.
Looking for a fun and competitive K4 racing opportunity? The Reading K4 Multi-Event is your chance to test your crew’s marathon stamina and sprint speed all in one exciting day of racing!
Join us for a unique event that combines 5km mass-start racing with 500m sprint showdowns, giving paddlers a chance to showcase both endurance and raw power in larger K4 boats.
Event Format
Morning Session – 5km Marathon Race
Each crew will race in a mass-start 5km event around the club’s classic course, featuring multiple turns and challenges. Boats will compete in ability-based categories: A, B, C, or D, with Category D completing a 2.5km course.
All crews will earn points based on their placement in this race.
Afternoon Session – 500m Sprints
Crews will return to the water for two exciting 500m sprint runs:
2. Finals Races – go head-to-head with other boats in 3–4 races
to prove your sprinting power!
Points from the 5km and 500m finals will be combined to determine the overall champions in each category.
Who Will Be Crowned the Top K4 Crew?
Can your team master both distance and speed to take the Reading K4 Multi-Event title? There’s only one way to find out!
Enter now to secure your place – don’t miss out!
Spots are limited and demand is high – make sure your crew is on the start line (no entries on the day). Scan QR code below.
See details on poster attached and you can find details and enter on the MRC entries website: https://entries.canoemarathon.org.uk/entries/new-reading-k4-multi-event-2025-onPWb2YJ
Reading Canoe Club Juniors Shine on the International Stage
by Imogen Collins
On Tuesday, 16th September, Reading Canoe Club juniors Oli Mazur, Charlotte Fulford-Perez, Ruth Shephard, and Doogal Barnett – joined by Imogen Collins – flew out with the GB Junior Team to the Czech Republic for the Olympic Hopes Regatta. In the lead-up, all athletes trained hard, determined to perform at their best – and they delivered.
Olympic Hopes is a prestigious four-day event featuring U15, U16, and U17 categories with 52 countries competing. Each nation can enter two boats per event, making progression through rounds especially tough. Our athletes’ events were:
All four athletes rose to the challenge, progressing from their heats into the semi-finals – a brilliant achievement given the high entry standards and international field.
Ruth stormed into the A final in her K1 1000m, finishing 7th – an outstanding result for an U14 racing in U15. She raced with fierce determination and power well beyond her years.
Doogal raced hard in a competitive C final, gaining invaluable experience at this level and showing strong composure and effort.
Oli dominated his K1 500m semi-final to secure a spot in the A final – his main goal for the event. Despite a tight turnaround before the final, he raced bravely and with ambition throughout.
Charlotte, having a fantastic regatta, clocked a new PB of 2:03 in her K1 500m semi-final, just missing the A final. Her grit and consistency across the weekend were hugely impressive.
Charlotte returned in the K1 200m, flying out of the start buckets with another PB and earning a B final spot. She delivered a composed, determined performance to take 4th – a strong finish to a great weekend.
Oli took his place in the Boys K4 500m, a boat he’s raced all season at Europeans and Worlds. The crew executed a strong semi-final to earn a coveted A final spot – the first GB Boys K4 to do so at Olympic Hopes since 2018.
In the final, the boys fought hard in an incredibly tight race, finishing 4th. Though just missing the podium, it was a performance to be proud of, reflecting their season-long growth and unity.
All four athletes showed professionalism, resilience, and maturity throughout the event. Whether it was a first international outing or a final appearance after three years at this regatta, they represented Reading Canoe Club with pride and distinction. As their coach, I couldn’t be prouder to have shared this experience with them.
Big thanks to Mili, Karina, Immi and Matt on the bbq and Miriam for arranging and sorting the barbecue for our last TT and bbq in late September. And to those who came along. A small, select gathering for the Club’s last TT and BBQ for 2025 … thankfully mostly indoors as it was a touch chilly!
