The Thames 200 Ultra may only be in its second year, but it’s already one of the fastest growing ultra paddling races in the world. 2025’s race drew some of the UK’s best marathon talent and offered exciting action all the way to the end with finishing times just minutes apart over 200 km for both the relay race and the non-stop solo race.
Billy and Betsy recap the Chelmsford vs. Richmond relay battle, speculate on how the race could have gone differently, and what it would have taken for Richmond to successfully defend their title; and recap the K1 solo fight to the finish between Tom Diaper and Isaac Blackman.
Scottish K1 Marathon Championships and Nith Descent, 27-28 September
Looking ahead, the Scottish K1 Marathon Championships and Nith Descent, both in southwest Scotland near Dumfries, are shaping up to hold some fun racing in the last weekend of September. The K1 marathon champs will be held on Loch Ken, with a long course of just 14 km. Anyone is welcome to race, regardless of whether you have an address in Scotland!
The Nith Descent on Sunday is looking like the perfect descent race for beginners or advanced paddlers alike. High water means that some of the trickier features will be washed out, and racers will fly down the 16 km course at speed. The race starts in Auldgirth (DG2 0UA) and finishes at the Nithsdale Amateur Rowing Club (NARC), with bridges, rapids including “The Boat Stopper”, and beautiful scenery. The race is open to paddlers in all types of craft including canoe, kayak or river SUP (e.g. K1/K2’s, Plastic, Canadian, Slalom, WWR, Sea Kayaks, Wavehoppers).
The whole weekend promises to have a fun party atmosphere.
Sign up for Scottish K1 Marathon Championships, Saturday 27th September: https://sca.justgo.com/Workbench/i/r/EventsAndBookings/booking-details/E10532457D9DFAF5F5AEC734E51314BFDAC18884
Sign up for the Nith Descent, Sunday 28th September: https://sca.justgo.com/Workbench/i/r/EventsAndBookings/booking-details/239EAC87B3BA0685034DC82B95ED8D4091C81795/
→ NOTE: You do not have to have an address in Scotland to race! Simply create an account on Paddle Scotland (about 2 minutes), add the right ticket type for you, and check out.
Breede River Canoe Marathon Recap
Over in the Southern Hemisphere, winter is coming to an end and the racing season is hotting up. Kenny Rice joins Paddlecast to talk about what differentiates the Breede from other South African river races, and recaps how his race with Mark Keeling went the other day.
The Warm Down: Round Gozo Record & Downwind Drag Race Leader
Matthew Schembri joins Paddlecast to talk about his new record for the fastest circumnavigation of the island of Gozo in Malta. And Billy speculates about just how well some of the top talent in the UK might go in Durban based on Terry Miller’s latest splits that have just topped the 2025 Downwind Drag Race tracker.
00:23 - Thames 200 Ultra Race Recap: The Closest Races
31:04 - Race Previews: Scottish K1 Marathon Championships & the Starsky Nith Descent
47:43 - Breede River Canoe Marathon, featuring Kenny Rice
59:42 - The Warm Down: New Record around Gozo featuring Matt Schembri, and Downwind Drag Race’s New Leader
Useful Links:
Save the Date for the Thames 200 Ultra 2026: https://www.thames200ultra.com
Check out Starsky’s Products: https://starskykayaking.com
Ask Rob about Starsky UK or racing at the Scottish K1 Marathon Championships & Nith Descent: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553185212023 or tornfinfishing@gmail.com
Watch the full video of Tom Dawson’s decent of the Nith in August 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VZcsaDlvA
Watch the Breede River Canoe Marathon videos from this year: https://breedemarathon.co.za/video-gallery/
Read more about the Surfski Shack and their Gozo Circumnavigation: https://www.thesurfskishack.com/post/maltese-paddlers-shatter-records-in-round-gozo-circumnavigation
Follow Downwind Drag Race on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downwinddragrace/
