2020 will see the first edition of the PNSW Junior Marathon Series, with five races from March to August inviting young paddlers to experience some of the state’s best waterways. The series will sit within the 2020 Marathon Series, allowing juniors to experience the thrill of marathon racing with age-appropriate distances and some great awards to recognise their achievements. All races in the series are free for juniors who choose early bird entry, in an effort to grow U/18 participation in the sport!
Races in the series:
March 21st: Round 1, Windsor
(also NSW State Championships, more on this below)
May 5th: Round 2, Narrabeen
June 21st: Round 3, Penrith
July 25th: Round 4, Woronora
August 8th: Round 5 and Series Presentations, Grays Point
Race distances for the series will be:
U/18: 15kms
U/14 and U/16: 10kms
U/12: 5kms
U/8 and U/10: 2kms
All U/8 paddlers are required to paddle with an accompanying adult, and it is recommended for U/10s. Race entry is free for accompanying adults.
The 5km and 2km juniors will be in the regular 5km paddlers, 10km juniors will start with the slowest 10km start and 15km juniors with the regular 15km paddlers. These start groups are generally small and very welcoming. At the conclusion of the Grays Point race on August 8th, an informal presentation will recognise juniors who completed two or more races across the series up to a best four out of the total five.
Juniors are welcome to paddle in whatever craft they’re comfortable in, and doubles entries are also strongly encouraged. Ages are determined as of December 31st, 2020, so a paddler who turns 13 in 2020 would be required to paddle U/14 rather than U/12. Doubles crews should enter in the age group of the oldest paddler.
More advanced juniors who wish to paddle in faster divisions or longer distances as part of the marathon series may continue to do so. In addition to regular Marathon Series points, they will earn a fixed 48 points towards the junior series in their age class, along with being recognised for series participation.
Round 1 of the series coincides with the NSW State Singles Marathon Championships, hosted by Windsor Paddlesports Club on the Hawkesbury River. This venue really is excellent for spectators!
It is recommended that juniors new to the series choose to paddle junior series distances, and they will be started with the ‘non-competitive’ adults sharing that distance. Those paddlers aged U/14 to U/18 who wish to be in contention for State Championship medals may choose to paddle the following distances, with portaging for U/16s and U/18s. Race points will be allocated to both the junior and main marathon series based on their age group placing.
U/14: 10kms, no portage
U/16: 15kms, one optional portage
U/18 Women’s C1: 10kms, one portage
U/18 Women’s K1 and Men’s C1: 15kms, one portage
U/18 Men’s K1: 20kms, one portage
If you have any questions about the Paddle NSW Junior Marathon Series, please feel free to email the marathon committee at marathon@paddlensw.org.au. We look forward to seeing you on the water!