Race to the Castle 2024

By David Partridge

It was a great mixture of new and old. As we drafted (allowed) to the bar after a memorable inaugural event, all the talk was of how well the event was run, how the wind was unexpected (and cruel), and whether we would do it again next year!

This event is a complete newcomer to the endurance SUP scene but has fired the imagination of paddlers worldwide. Belgium competitor Steven Pierre pitched next to us in the watersports campsite at Holme Pierrepont, said I have trained for this event and travelled from Belgium for it, so I’m delighted to place 8th. Greg Wingo, who had travelled from Alabama, spoke at the awards ceremony and was full of praise for the organisation: “From these beginnings, people get into endurance SUP; how many of you will come over and do the Alabama 650 or Last Paddler Standing? It is these events which grow the sport.” He warmed to the spirit of the race and how everyone has a story to tell.

There is a great story here. Race to the Castle, a 40km SUP race down the River Trent from Nottingham to the almost 900-year-old Newark Castle, ‘Guardian of the Trent’, is a brand new event. Cassie Salter, working with a large team of volunteers, has organised the event and provided an outpouring of social media and hype to encourage a new event to be supported by 200 people!

The influence of new technology was everywhere. Instagram and Facebook provided the buzz for many. All the competitors were linked to a stream of information delivered by a ‘WhatsApp’ group, and finally, webscorer was used to track all competitors. The event regulations asked all to have a PFD, foil blanket, quick-release waist belt, and webscorer app on their phone in a waterproof case, along with hydration and nutrition for the course.

At registration, you were set off on webscorer, and the organisers could track all competitors as they paddled the 40km downriver through 5 portages, with a compulsory 10-minute rest some 17km in.

The competition was run with leisure paddlers setting off first (with subsequent starts brought forward 30 minutes via WhatsApp after an adverse weather forecast with headwinds); these were followed in waves by competitors, with the 14-foot race category starting 90 minutes later. The result was a great finale at Newark, as many racers and leisure paddlers crossed the line to the sounds of a brass band.

I managed to catch up briefly with Cassie at the awards ceremony. She was radiant with success and was already planning for 2025. “We will announce the date tomorrow.” The organisation for this first event was huge, with permits, permissions, insurance, and a huge list of logistics to secure.

On registration, competitors (all of whom were on ISUPS) could leave a board bag to go to the finish with a change of clothes, etc. The return from Newark could be by train, with boards being transported back in vans if required. Well-managed portages occurred at five locks (involving ladder climbs and hauling boards up river embankment walls at two). I am told one of the portages was 400 metres or more. Many volunteers and water safety crews were on hand at each portage. Very reassuring. The enthusiasm and encouragement was everywhere, particularly as we all struggled with some pretty challenging conditions.

It was so well organised and exceptional for a first event. There was a steady stream of communication, which sometimes felt a little overwhelming, but for an event on a river with other users, crossing 40km of navigable waterway, it is entirely understandable. There were videos and images of the transitions for those organised enough to prepare. (I must admit I skipped these).

The on-the-day organisation seemed faultless. With the forecast strong headwinds, there was a great decision to run the event but building in additional time. We all faced a pretty relentless wind, and with a wide river, there was little place to hide. Drafting must undoubtedly have helped the fastest competitors, although the winner, Mark Salter, just went out from the start like a bullet and led all the way. In 2nd place, Martin Rendle commented he tried to hop on but could not match Mark’s blistering pace from the start and finished some 15 minutes behind.

5th overall in the elite racers and first female once again, Tanya Eckers, the ‘Fearless German’, paddled hard and secured her second UK first place after smashing the SUP 12 event just two weeks prior. I caught up with her, “I love endurance paddling, and as you get older, the body is more suited to it than sprint racing. I am going to rest now and then some continental events. I would certainly come back for this event next year.” Tanya always lights up award ceremonies and, despite the wind, smiled (or, as she says, “was I grimacing”) through the whole event. She pulled a fighting into the wind, smile/grimace, and it was hard to work out, which it was!

The paddlers arrived back in Newark before 16:00, allowing the return to Nottingham, board collection, etc., and then onto the awards ceremony and food (and a suitably long queue for the bar with much joshing and storytelling).

So, what was it like to paddle 40km? This was my triple having come from SUP12 and Head of the Dart so I wanted an even pace. Settling into a rhythm with Chris Deakins (Chris_SUPS on Insta), we chatted for most of the race, maintaining an even paddle and chose to paddle side by side rather than drafting, as it made the long paddle more sociable. He is a connected paddler and noted our 45 stroke rate, 8km/hr rate, and we discussed getting into the river flow (about 1km/hr) or avoiding it (as the headwind was always strongest down the middle of the river). He paddles on the sea a lot and noted the chop created by the wind felt like the mouth of the Humber. We both just concentrated on keeping our noses down and maintaining a rhythm. We picked off some who had ‘gone out too strong’ but dallied in the transitions, enjoying the day.

As the race progressed, we started overhauling some leisure paddlers (many reduced to their knees in the conditions), and needless to say, there was lots of banter and mutual encouragement.

Chris got some cramp, and sensing the final 10km, we agreed to step up the work rate at this point, so head down and power on. Very quickly, we were through a meandering, slow-moving section with little (or less!) wind and then suddenly on the outskirts of Newark. A church beckoned, then the towering walls of the castle. The organisers, though, had a final twist. A final portage (the 5th of the day) and then a loop past the castle downstream and a turn, wind on our backs now back to the brass band and cheering spectators. A final bridge with quite a contraflow negating the wind assist and making the final few yards hurt a little – the bell, the finish and lots of hugs and that warm feeling of another great race.

Again, a huge shout out to fellow Chelmarsh paddlers. Colin Todd scored an 11th place. Clare Todd posted a 7th female. (At the end, she said she would never let me talk her into another race, but that was before she got her result; maybe that will change! David Blakemore smashed his first event, dropping into the leisure category after seeing the forecast; he flew ahead of the other Chelmarsh entrants and ended up with an excellent 8th place in the category! In their supportive bubble, Maria Roche and Nikki Downing came over the line elated, exhausted and exuberant in equal measures.

For me, this was the third in three consecutive weekend events. Will Worthington, my paddle buddy, again drove me along, and it was particularly good to celebrate his news of a rehab placement. To get a message from him wishing me good luck is the most powerful of messages. Will, the triple was down to you. 

Reflecting on three races on three consecutive Saturdays, I feel the strength and depth of the UK endurance SUP scene. SUP 12 is flourishing in its second year. Head of the Dart is always a sell-out showstopper of an event, and then Race to The Castle is a brand new event but one that felt like it had been running for years. Hats off to all the organisers, volunteers and helpers and hats off to all the competitors (if you still have a hat and it wasn’t blown off on the Trent!)

The dates for Race to The Castle are already out for next year. April 26th 2025, and I am sure that once again, it will be a sell-out race. (And I can’t believe there will be a north-easterly wind blowing next year)

https://www.supfitness.co.uk/racetothecastle

https://www.webscorer.com/racedetails?raceid=349940&did=448053