Canoe racing

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This article is about flatwater canoe racing. Other forms of canoe and kayak racing, such as e.g. whitewater racing, extreme racing, dragon boat racing and outrigger canoe racing, are practised on white water and/or use quite different boats and paddles. See the article on canoeing for a more general overview. For the distinction between the terms canoe and kayak, see the article on the canoe.

This article discusses flatwater racing (sprint) and marathon racing, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are discussed here together, as equipment and paddling technique are very similar, if not identical. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation (ICF).

Flatwater racing (sprint), which is referred to by the IOC as "canoe/kayak flatwater", is one of the two forms of the two canoeing disciplines that feature in the Summer Olympics, the other being canoe/kayak slalom. Marathon racing is not an Olympic sport. In non-Olympic years the main event are the World Championships.

[edit] Flatwater racing (Sprint)

A typical racing K-2 design. Note the extremely narrow beam.
A typical racing K-2 design. Note the extremely narrow beam.

Flatwater racing takes place on a straight course divided in lanes, on calm water. The distances recognised by the ICF for international races are 200 m, 500 m, and 1000 m. Each boat has its own designated lane, except for races over more than 1000 m, where there also may be turning points. Men race in canoes and in kayaks, women only in kayaks except for in Canada, where women's canoe is an event raced at both Canada Games and National Championships. For each race a number of heats, semi-finals and a final may be necessary, depending on the number of competitors.

Flatwater racing has been part of the Olympic Games since 1936 (Berlin) for men, and since 1948 (London) for women. Notable Olympic gold medal winners are Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (8 gold medals since 1980) and Gert Fredriksson (6 gold medals between 1948 and 1960).

List of Olympic events:

  • C1 500 m (canoe single) Men
  • C1 1000 m (canoe single) Men
  • C2 500 m (canoe double) Men
  • C2 1000 m (canoe double) Men
  • K1 500 m (kayak single) Men
  • K1 1000 m (kayak single) Men
  • K2 500 m (kayak double) Men
  • K2 1000 m (kayak double) Men
  • K4 1000 m (kayak four) Men
  • K1 500 m (kayak single) Women
  • K2 500 m (kayak double) Women
  • K4 500 m (kayak four) Women

In European Championships and World Championship competitions following events are also on the program:

  • C1 200 m (canoe single) Men
  • C2 200 m (canoe double) Men
  • C4 200 m (canoe four) Men
  • C1 500 m (canoe single) Men
  • C2 500 m (canoe double) Men
  • C4 500 m (canoe four) Men
  • C1 1000 m (canoe single) Men
  • C2 1000 m (canoe double) Men
  • C4 1000 m (canoe four) Men
  • K1 200 m (kayak single) Men
  • K2 200 m (kayak double) Men
  • K4 200 m (kayak four) Men
  • K1 500 m (kayak single) Men
  • K2 500 m (kayak double) Men
  • K4 500 m (kayak four) Men
  • K1 1000 m (kayak single) Men
  • K2 1000 m (kayak double) Men
  • K4 1000 m (kayak four) Women
  • K1 200 m (kayak single) Women
  • K2 200 m (kayak double) Women
  • K4 200 m (kayak four) Women
  • K1 500 m (kayak single) Women
  • K2 500 m (kayak double) Women
  • K4 500 m (kayak four) Women
  • K1 1000 m (kayak single) Women
  • K2 1000 m (kayak double) Women
  • K4 1000 m (kayak four) Women

This list of events appears in the European Championships and the World Championships, although 200 m races are not for juniors. The 2007 World Championships were held in Duisburg, Germany.

[edit] Marathon racing

Marathons are long distance races on rivers, lakes, estuaria or even open sea. The course may include obstacles such as shallows, rocks and portages. Under ICF rules, the minimum distances for international races are 20 km for men, and 15 km for women. The races may be divided in several parts and/or several days. World Cup and World Championship races normally are about 35 to 40 km long. As there are no maximum distances, marathon racing has its extremes, such as the Devizes to Westminster Marathon in England (125 miles, i.e. about 200 km), the Tour de Gudenå in Denmark (120 km), the Texas Water Safari (262 mi), the Weyerhaeuser Au Sable River Canoe Marathon (nonstop 120 miles), the Berg River Canoe Marathon in South Africa (248 km), the Red Cross Murray Marathon, 404km down the Murray River in Australia, and the longest annual canoe and kayak race, The Yukon River Quest (742km), The Missouri River 340, the longest non-stop river canoe and kayak race (340 miles) (www.rivermiles.com).

[edit] Equipment

Junior Women's War Canoes (C-15) come across the line at the 2005 Canadian Canoe Association Championships, held at le bassin olympique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Junior Women's War Canoes (C-15) come across the line at the 2005 Canadian Canoe Association Championships, held at le bassin olympique in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The official boats recognised by the ICF as 'International Boats' are the following: K1, K2, K4, C1, C2 and C4, where the number indicates the number of paddlers, “K” stands for kayak and “C” for Canadian or Canoe, depending on location. Kayaks have a steering rudder, which is operated by the (foremost) paddler with his feet; in a kayak a paddler is sitting, while in a Canoe he is kneeling on one knee. The ICF rules for these boats define among others the maximum length, the minimum weight and the shape of the boats. For example, by ICF rules, a K1 is at most 520 cm long, and weighs at least 8 kg for marathons, or 12 kg for sprints. In 2000, after the Olympic Games in Sydney, the ICF withdrew width restrictions on all boats, spurring a fury of innovations in boat designs. Modern boats are usually made of carbon fiber and/or aramid fiber (e.g. Kevlar) with epoxy resin.

Some famous kayak racers are Ivan Lawler,7 times world champion and Anna Hemmings,3 times world champion.


In Canada, a racing class exists for the C15 or WC or "War Canoe", as well as a similarly designed C4 (which is much shorter and more squat than an 'International' C4). An antiquated boat class is the C7, resembling a large C4 which was debuted by the ICF with little success.

Paddles for propelling are double-bladed for kayaks, and single-bladed for canoes, and are usually made of carbon fiber with epoxy. For kayaks so-called wing paddles are generally used, the blades of which are shaped to resemble a wing. These paddles are more efficient than traditional paddles, presumably because they create extra "lift" in the direction in which the kayak moves. The wing blade has undergone many evolutions in the past two decades, evolving from a flatter blade to one with a more pronounced curve to better catch the water. For racing canoes, the blade will typically be short and broad, with a 'power face' on one side of the blade which is either flat or scalloped out. The shaft will typically be longer than a tripping canoe paddle, because the kneeling position puts the paddler higher above the surface of the water. More recent designs of canoe racing paddles will often have a slight bent-shaft (a concept conceived by Gene Jensen in the 1950s), but not to the degree used in marathon paddles. Many high-performance canoe paddlers prefer the feel of a carbon-fibre shaft mated to a wooden blade, while nearly all high-performance kayak paddlers use paddles made completely of carbon fiber.

[edit] See also

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