What kind of races are they?
The PaddleNSW Marathon 10 Series is a number of flatwater marathon races held on different rivers around Sydney and NSW from Autumn to Spring.
There are generally three distance options available at each race – 10, 15 and 20km. For the 20km distance the starts are split into divisions based on your expected finish time. Therefore you get to start and race with those that travel at a similar speed to you.
Who does these races?
People of all levels of experience from the very new to the super competitive. Many others just use the events as a great way to check out some of the spectacular waterways surrounding Sydney. It’s a friendly atmosphere and if you’ve never done a single craft race they’re perfect for your first one.
You’ll also find lots of different types of craft out there… sea kayaks, canoes, K1s, surf skis, outriggers, doubles and singles. The divisional system means you’ll race with people of similar speed rather than craft type.
What’s in it for me?
Being ocean marathon racers you might wonder what’s in a flatwater race for people like us. The short answer is heaps! Building base is one thing but building base in a race environment will take you to another level.
In addition they are great opportunity to to trial, wwwelop and improve race skills. Race plans, turns, starts, wash riding, and dropping your Level 4 Smart Bombs are all the kinds of things you’ll get to experiment with and fine tune.
Costs:
You can enter on the day or online beforehand at the PaddleNSW website. The cost is $20 for PaddleNSW members. For non-PaddleNSW members you need to purchase a one-off race membership for an additional $10.
If you’re planning on doing some more of these races as well as some of the downwind OC1/OC2 series over the summer then purchasing a full membership for $50 is worthwhile. You can do this online at www.paddlensw.org.au.
More Info:
www.paddlensw.org.au/marathon10.html