Midlands Short Course Championships 2026
Hosted by
Burton Phoenix Canoe Club
Saturday 18th April 2026
Welcome to the Midlands Short Course Marathon on the gorgeous River Trent.
VENUE: Newton Park, Newton Road, Burton on Trent DE15 0TU Check-in, refreshments, results and prize giving. Please bring cash as we do not have a card reader. Thank you.
PARKING: On the field as directed by marshals.
TIMETABLE:
Check in: From 09:00am to 10:00am.
Heats, briefing 10:30, starts; 11:00
GSA Singles; briefing 12:00, start 12:30pm.
Finals start; 13:00
PRIZEGIVING: Once all races are finished and results are available.
COURSES: All paddlers to enter water by the start and paddle downstream to warm up.
Race upstream from start to top clockwise turn, down to bottom clockwise turn and repeat for 2nd and 3rd lap with portage at the begining of the 2nd and 3rd lap.
Downstream finish.
Classes with have mixed heats, progress to finals based on position.
SINGLES
Classes:
Divs 1-3 Divs 4-6 Divs 7-9 GSA SUP
Divs 1-6, 3.6km, 3 laps, portages on 2nd and 3rd laps.
Div 7-9 and SUP, 3 laps, no portages.
GSA; 1.2 km lap
ENTRIES: Entries open on 1st April 2026 and close on 17th April 2026, at 12:00 noon. Late entries can be made on the day, subject to availability, £15 all classes except Geoff Sanders which will remain the same
Seniors: £12 Juniors: £10 U14: £6
Please enter using the Marathon Race Entry system.
Payment, preferably by bank transfer to:
Burton Phoenix Canoe Club
Sort Code: 77 08 11 Acc Num: 44476068
For Non PaddleUK members requiring an single event membership, please follow the link, https://paddleuk.org.uk/purchase-sem/ .
PORTAGE: The portage is a near the start area and paddlers are recommended to inspect the portage before the start. The wet spring has meant a change in venue and as a consequence, a change in portage to a river bank. After the bottom turn, exit by the start line and re-enter 50m upstream at the start of the 2nd and 3rd laps.
HAZARDS: Care should be taken around rowers, anglers and other river users. All paddlers should be aware of oncoming paddlers and keep to the right of the river even though the Trent is quite wide, this is especially important after the start for paddlers moving down the river as lower divisions may still be on the start line.
SAFETY: Canoeing and Kayaking is by its nature an unpredictable sport and therefore inherently involves an element of risk. An entry into the event has taken this into consideration.
All paddlers in Divs 7-10 and U14's must wear approved buoyancy aids. Team leaders to decide if paddlers in higher divisions should wear them.
All boats must have buoyancy that is sufficient to keep the boat and paddlers afloat in the event of a capsize.
All boats must have a white number plate provided by the paddler. SUPs will be issued bibs.
RULES: The race will be run in accordance with the current marathon racing rules.
PRIZES: For all races depending on entry.