The organisers of the Brigg Hasler on 28th April have had to cancel due to a clash with another event at the venue. Details of any re-scheduled race will be published in due course.
Cheshire Ring Race, 6-7 July
The Cheshire Ring race is perfect for people who want to have a go at an almost 100 mile paddle in K1, K2, or Canadian. The rules are flexible so solo attempts and relays are possible. It’s a great race for K2 relay teams using junior/senior pairings to introduce juniors to this kind of challenge event on sheltered canals in the summer. Continue reading “Cheshire Ring Race, 6-7 July”
Junior Development Squad – C1 paddlers
For clarification, C1 paddlers are also invited to join the JDS if/when they meet the qualifying standards. The eligibility criteria are one division below those required for K1, therefore for C1 paddlers that would be:
U18 boys – Div 4
U16 boys – Div 5
U18 girls – Div 5
U16 girls – Div 6
Junior Development Squad Skills Day
Around 70 young athletes from 24 clubs attended the first MRC Junior Development Squad event on Saturday. This was a skills development day, focussed on group paddling and wash-hanging, kindly hosted by Elmbridge CC and led by BC President and multiple World Champion, Ivan Lawler.
The emphasis of the day was on having fun and enabling the paddlers to develop skills in a non-race environment, thus allowing them to take risks and not worry about making mistakes. There was a good mix of on- and off-water sessions, with the “classroom” time led by Ivan. Complete with cardboard cut-out boats on a whiteboard, he demonstrated wash-hanging and group dynamics from the simplest two-boat scenario, up to the large groups encountered in international races. The morning’s paddle was done in small groups, but the challenges were increased by the high winds and strong flow on the river. Luckily the winds dropped for the afternoon session, when there were various drills and challenges, this time in bigger groups, such as having to find a place in a big group immediately from a start-line.
Paddlers and coaches came from clubs as far afield as Lincoln, Chester, Swansea and Cornwall. In addition to developing the paddlers, it was a training day for coaches of all levels, providing an opportunity for them to work together and learn from each other. The subsequent feedback on the day has been very positive, with all those involved taking back new skills and knowledge to their clubs.
There are now over 90 paddlers enrolled in the squad, which will continue to grow as more meet the qualifying criteria following promotions throughout the year. This ensures that all the progressive juniors around the country are able to benefit.
Many thanks to Ivan and the team at Elmbridge for putting up with an extra 100 or more people taking over their clubhouse, and to the paddlers, parents and coaches who were all prepared to turn up on a very windy day. We are now looking forward to the next MRC JDS event – the two-day training camp at Longridge in April.
MRC Junior Development Squad
The initial MRC Junior Development Squad list for 2019 has been announced.
The first event for the squad and their coaches is this Saturday. Hosted by Elmbridge CC and led by Ivan Lawler, the focus is on Group Racing Skills and over 70 paddlers have booked to attend.
A reminder to those coming:
- Please arrive in good time – the briefing is at 9.30, and you should be ready then.
- Please bring a bungee if you have one.
- Please encourage your coach to come too if possible.
There is no maximum number for the squad, and paddlers are encouraged to join throughout the year once they reach the required standards below:
Boys – U18 Div 3, U16/14 Div 4
Girls – U18 Div 4, U16/14 Div 5
The application form for the JDS:
https://gonepaddling.wufoo.co.uk/forms/s5xrpah0rbbz70/
2019 Racing Rules
The Marathon Racing Rules are now being published online only.
Raising questions with the Marathon Committee
The MRC will be meeting in early March, if you or you club have any issues that you wish to raise, then please contact the secretary who will ensure that adequate time is allocated on the agenda for your concerns, or observations, to be discussed. Continue reading “Raising questions with the Marathon Committee”
Junior Marathon Development Squad
The MRC is launching a Junior Marathon Development Squad from 2019 and the following information was sent out to clubs at the beginning of the month. For those who may have missed it due to the Christmas chaos, below is an outline of the plans, together with the eligibility criteria and the link for registration. Continue reading “Junior Marathon Development Squad”
Coaches with legacy qualifications
Coaches with qualifications which predate the new Race Coach and Performance Coach awards can continute to use these to coach racing, and enjoy the same rights and protections as before. However they should make sure that the following remain up to date: Continue reading “Coaches with legacy qualifications”
Short course races at Marathon Worlds and Europeans
The ICF have announced that short-course races with full World and European Championship status will be run at the two major championships in 2019. Continue reading “Short course races at Marathon Worlds and Europeans”