Canoe O 2026 entries are now open click here for more info!
Thanks to everyone who paddled, marshalled, and came out to support the 2026 York Canoe Race! Results are now up.
Want race updates for next year? Add yorkcanoerace@gmail.com to your contacts so you don’t miss anything (and check your spam folder if you think you’ve been left out).
Parking
The event is grateful to the Friends of Rowntree Park, a registered charity, who allow us to access and use the land. We make a donation to the Friends of Rowntree Park after the event, and would encourage all drivers to make a £1 contribution per vehicle.
Race day essentials
Click each section below for details.
Safety on the water
There is an expectation that participants have the experience and capability to paddle their chosen course. If you are unsure whether you have the ability to complete the event, please err on the side of caution and do not enter the water. Whilst the event provides a number of marshals, their primary purpose is to make sure you complete the correct course and turn at the right point — there are not enough marshals to provide individual safety cover for each participant, so you are expected to look after your own welfare.
Notwithstanding that, please ensure that if you spot anyone in difficulty you provide whatever assistance you can and notify the nearest marshal, even if it is to the detriment of your own race.
Water & hygiene
There is no fresh water supply on site — please bring a reasonable amount for drinking, hand washing and general cleaning.
We’d encourage you to check water quality yourself before the event using the Surfers Against Sewage sewage map. The overflow at Queens Staithe activates frequently, which appears to be “normal” for this outlet — if we consider the pollution risk abnormally high, we will cancel the event and refund entries.
- Please cover all cuts before entering the water
- Please wash your hands after the event, especially before handling or eating food
- Please shower as soon as possible post-race
- Please apply sunscreen before the event
A first aider will be available in the Registration Area if you need one.
On the day
After the race we’ll have the usual BBQ — please bring some cash, though we hope to take card payments too. We’re pleased to have Robin Hood Watersports and BioMate with us for the day, and thank Bluefin SUP for supplying prizes for the first SUP finisher in each distance. The post-race awards ceremony takes place around 3.15pm.
Litter & biosecurity
Please take all your litter home, and pick up anything you spot along the way — we have no access to commercial waste management, so anything left behind is ours to deal with. We aim to leave the site as good as, or better than, we found it.
We support the Check, Clean & Dry initiative to prevent the spread of invasive non-native species — see Paddle UK’s biosecurity guidance.
This event takes a lot of organising by a group of volunteers who do it because we’re very fond of the event and everyone involved. Please be respectful towards the organisers, volunteers, marshals and your fellow competitors — we hope you all have fun, because that’s what it’s all about.
Thank you to Bren Cunney at Illumin8 Training — the reason entry stays affordable is thanks to their financial support. We’re hoping to have Brendan back on the water next year.
The York Canoe Race Committee