Canoe Championships glide into Geelong

MORE than 300 canoe and kayak paddlers will call Geelong home for the next five days.

Geelong Canoe Club is ready to host this year’s 2023 Australian and Oceania Canoe Marathon Championships as the annual event rolls through Victoria from today with event distances to range from 3.4km to 29km.

Paddle Victoria committee member and event director Peter Currie says the canoeing and kayaking community looks forward to the marathon championships, with a lively atmosphere expected from April 6-10.

“There will be athletes from ages as young as 15-16 to the Masters categories featuring competitors upwards of 40 years of age, it’s really a great social event for this specific group of people,” Mr Currie said.

“We’ll be set up at the end of Marnock Road, right beside the Geelong Canoe Club.

“There will be a bunch of marquees set up, with food and drinks stations available to everyone, there’s certainly a lot going on over the five days.”

Today’s racing will provide a warm-up day for competitors before individual and short course racing takes place on Friday and Saturday.

Sunday and Monday’s racing will conclude with long-course and team racing.

“The event is rotated around the states each year, so it’s been five years since we’ve hosted the championships in Victoria, and we were lucky enough to have Geelong obtain the hosting rights,” Mr Currie added.

This week’s event will act as a qualification competition for the 2023 International Canoe Federation Canoe Marathon Championships being held in Vejen, Denmark later this year from August 31 to September 3.

For more on the event, head to www.2023marathonsupoceania.paddle.org.au