Marathon Canoeing

Marathon canoe & kayak racing is alive and well. Our mandate is clear, to develop long distance racing in a sport that is rich in heritage and steeped in a tradition by those folks who forged our great country.

Some of the events are becoming legendary, like the La Classique International (1934 to present). Several provinces are members of Canoe Kayak Canada – Marathon under the executive, Marathon Canoe Racing Council. Provincial organizing bodies host events from B.C. to Nova Scotia on the beautiful lakes, rivers and streams. Events are quite often held on the early native and fur brigade waterways complete with portages.

Marathon events are specific to certain types of watercraft ranging from open recreational (includes Voyageur) to the more high performance marathon canoes. Kayaks follow the I.C.F. standards specific to marathon races.

Marathon Canoe Racing Ass’n of B.C. started in 1979 and has consistently held events throughout the province. National Championships have been held six times in places like Kamloops, Prince George, Whistler and Enderby.

Who are marathon canoe & kayak racers and where do they come from? Many veteran racers started from strong roots back in the 1960’s & 70’s and are still racing today. Recent growth has been a direct result of athletes crossing over from dragonboating, sprint, and outrigger. Many marathoners are doing several styles of racing each year. Surfski racing has now been added to the list. The magic bullet is where ever your roots originated you love being on the water. Long distance sports like: running, cross country skiing and cycling are all good qualifiers for marathon paddling.

Our current hubs for marathon paddling in the P.N.W. are Bellingham, Victoria, Ft. Langley, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Prince George.

This is a special picture donated by Ferdi Wenger of Kamloops. Harvey Fraser made this map of Canada entirely out of birchbark, complete with fur trade routes. Annual Race Award.

Marathon Paddling Links: