Together with Wey Kayak Club, we were proud to help host the National Hasler Final on the Thames at Runnymede. This race event involved over 600 paddlers from all over Britain, and was a great success.
Spread across the day, a mixture of K1 an K2 craft raced, finishing off with the youths in the Geoff Sanders event. Mostly the paddlers went well, albeit with a few over-keen paddlers needing to be rescued by the Addlestone safety boats.
Runnymede mayor Cllr Margaret Harnden joined in the afternoon to present a series of trophies, as well as the coveted Hasler Trophy. Elmbridge Canoe Club were crowned the winners, with Norwich Canoe Club and Wey Kayak Club also making the podium.
There was also a focus on the environment, keeping the river and surrounding area clean. Recycling of packaging and regular litter picks ensured that the event had minimal impact on the area, and British Canoeing set up a Check, Clean, Dry stand to encourage cleaning of boats coming off the water to prevent the spread of non-native species, such as floating pennywort.
Overall this was a highly successful event, thanks to a lot of work by Addlestone Canoe Club members in organising and running the day.