Marathon Canoe and Small Boats Program

Program Overview

The Marathon Canoe Program is a coached program that meets regularly Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8am at the VCKC Clubhouse on the Gorge Waterway.  From the clubhouse, we paddle into and around Portage Inlet, usually covering 10-12 kilometers on the water. Expect to paddle for 1½ to 2 hours in a regular session.

All paddlers are welcome to try marathon canoe.  VCKC has 6 tandem canoes and 3 solo canoe available for club member use as well as a variety of carbon fiber paddles. Marathon canoes are unstable compared to recreational canoes. It is recommended that you have experience in other small boats and at least Canoe Lakewater 1 before trying marathon canoe.

Marathon canoe is an exciting and fun sport. Enthusiasts learn skills that enable them to paddle efficiently and effectively in many situations including paddling with a pack and paddling in wind and moving water. Check out this video!

Once you hone your skills there are opportunities to race locally and on the mainland. Races are typically about 20km but can be 100km or more taking 2 hours or days to complete.

If you are new to the program, Join us Saturdays for a fun paddle and social coffee.  Time on the water builds confidence and expertise, and also brings you together with other paddlers.  The experience and skills developed will carry over to other paddle disciplines, or prepare you to test yourself by competing in marathon canoe races.

Small Boats Program

 The marathon program also oversees the use of small boats. This includes OC1 and OC2 craft.  Online bookings are available after the completion of an orientation session. For more information, contact the Marathon and Small Boats director.

Contact Marathon Program Director: