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GBSUP have released their 2025 SUP race schedule for races in the UK, alongside further information about race types, entry requirements and event details. It looks to be an exciting line up of events and a big future ahead for GBSUP.
Press Release GBSUP
Provisional Dates For Your Diary
National Series
• Oxford SUP, Oxford – March 29th
• Llandegfedd, South Wales – May 17th/18th
• BaySUP, Christchurch – June 28th
• TBC – July 6th
• TBC – July 19/20th
• TBC – August 23/24th
• SUP The Creek, South Devon – Oct 18th/19th
• Falmouth, Cornwall – June 7th/8th
Additional Dates Still to be Confirmed
We are still working to confirm our final events for the National Series, the National Sprint Championships, and stand-alone events – watch this space!
So, what will 2025 look like for GBSUP?
The National Series is set to be a 7-event series in which paddlers compete for an overall ranking position in their respective fleets. We have finalised four events and are currently finalising dates with our remaining three hosts. These remaining events will complete what we believe to be the best season yet, with races across the country bringing balance to the calendar through the locations and types of events we will be running like never before. 2025 is set to be a proper National Series taking us to the South West, South Coast, the Middle, South Wales, North East and the North West. We can’t wait for this one.
A Race Fleet is made up of your Board Category and Age Group, and for those who competed this year, the 2025 National Series looks very similar to the 2024 Series. There are a few changes to be aware of, and we are also looking to continue with the newly introduced Starboard Airline Cup brought into the fleets at the 2024 finale at Calshot.
• 14′ Hardboard SUP – Any hard SUP race board up to 14′ in length
• 14′ iSUP – Any inflatable (iSUP) race board up to 14′ in length
• Prone Paddleboard – Any Prone Paddleboard up to 14′ in length
• Starboard Airline Cup – A one-make class. Any Starboard Airline iSUP board is eligible to enter
• Challenge Tour – A novice racer fleet open to any board size and construction
• Juniors – A specific fleet for juniors open to any board size or construction currently
• Senior (30 – 39)
• Masters (40 – 49)
• Veterans (50 – 59)
• Grand Kahunas (60+)
The Open Age Group is open to paddlers of any age, and all paddlers compete equally against their peers. The open is used for fleets whose age groups are not applied and to create a 16-29 fleet in the 14′ Harboard race fleet. For 2025, we are reducing the entry age to 16 for juniors looking to take on the longer distances of the adult competitive fleets.
• Open (16+) – reduced from 18+ for 2025. Anyone over 16 may enter
• Open (16 – 29) – specifically for the 14′ Hardboard fleet
If your birthday during the competitive year means you will be changing age ranges for the Age Groups, you should remain in your previous Age Group. For example, a Paddler who is 49 on January 1st is entered into the Masters’ Age Group (40-49). If their birthday is in spring when they turn 50, they should remain in the Master’s Age Group for the remainder of the year and move to the Veterans’ Age Group for the following competitive year.
2025 Race Fleets (Adults)
Race Fleet | Eligible Age Groups |
14′ Harboard SUP | Open (16 – 29) Senior (30 – 39) Masters (40 – 49) Veterans (50 – 59) Grand Kahunas (60+) |
14′ iSUP | Open (16+) |
Prone Paddleboard | Open (16+) |
Starboard Airline Cup | Open (16+) |
Challenge Tour | Open (16+) |
The 2025 junior configuration is set for review. With a developing junior scene driven by the growth initiatives being implemented, it’s a very exciting time for the future of our sport.
• Groms (under 11) – Novice fleet for those just starting out (min age 5)
• Juniors (12 – 15)
• Juniors (16 – 17)
Over the past few years, one of our goals has been to standardise the formats of our races to provide a blueprint for the competitive SUP scene. This process has included a standard layout and distance, with the defined race categories outlined below.
• An out-and-back course starting in one location, heading out to the furthest point and returning to the start location to finish (usually a river or estuary).
• A simple course layout with a maximum of 3 critical turns (more than 90 degrees) per lap. Laps should represent the location and desired distance, with an ideal limit of 5 laps (used in any location but typically lakes and reservoirs).
• Middle Distances are 8 and 10km races
• Long Distance are 12, 14 and 16km races
• Middle Distances are 3 and 5km races
• Long Distance are 6, 7 and 8km races
• Standing Start – Paddlers form a line on the water between set points and await the starting signal
• Beach Start—Where a beach start is mandated or required, paddlers will line up either at the shoreline holding their boards or standing knee-to-thigh deep in the water and waiting for the start signal.
• Multiple Laps of a course with between 3 to 7 critical turns (more than 90 degrees) per lap
• A minimum of 3 laps is recommended, with a maximum of 7 laps
• They can include transitions with paddlers exiting the water and running around a flag, for example, on the shoreline.
• Extended transitions can include a short run between 25 and 100m, whereby paddlers may be mandated to release their boards at the shoreline as they transition around a flag or object.
• Short Course – distances up to 4km in length for a complete distance
• Long Course – distances from 4.5 km to 8km in length
• Straight Line – 50, 100 and 200m distances held point-to-point in a straight line
• Gated Sprints – Upto 150m with paddlers starting between two buoys or from the beach, out between a set of two buoys (paddler can choose to turn left or right) and back to the starting point
• Distance Tech—Typically distance-focused, it allows longer races to occur in restricted venues such as large lakes. For example, a technical section can be added to make the racing more exciting over a normal distance race, which may just follow the outside of the lake. A zig-zag layout can bring in some critical turns and make the racing more exciting.
• Tech Sprint – Shorter races (sub 1.5km), which can be used for a round-robin or knock-out format, so typically, one lap of a course blends the fast-paced nature of sprint with a technical course layout.
National Series Events
As with 2024, we will keep to a single National Series, taking our paddlers into various conditions, locations and formats. Our goal as a competitive series is to align with the ISA and ICF formats, which broadly relate to ocean and flatwater locations, respectively. Paddlers can, therefore, expect to be taking on our range of formats across different ocean and flatwater locations across the series.
• 7km Challenge Tour
• Junior Clinic and Racing
• Saturday, May 17th
– Junior and Adult Clinics
– Tech Sprint Racing (non-series) Adults & Juniors
– Industry Demos and exhibitors
• Sunday, May 18th
– Distance Races (Series Event)
– Adult Fleets 16km
– Challenge Tour 10km
– Junior Series Racing
• Tech Race – 5km
• Challenge Tour and Junior options
– Distance Race
– Options for 1, 6 and 12km (12 being the series race)
• Sunday, Oct 19th
– Tech Race
• TBC – July 6th
• TBC – July 19/20th
• TBC – August 23/24th
The 2025 British National Championships will take us to the Falmouth Bay Open for a weekend of exciting racing, where we will crown our 2025 champions.
Provisional Race Details:
• Saturday, June 7th
– Junior and Adult Clinics
– Distance Race 12km
– Challenge Tour and Junior options
– Industry demo and exhibitors
• Sunday, June 8th
– Tech Race – 5km
– Tech Sprints
– Challenge Tour and Junior races
• 200m laned sprints
If you want to support GBSUP as a partner, host, or sponsor, please get in touch with us at info@gbsup.co.uk. GBSUP is a volunteer-led, non-profit organisation, and we rely on your support to fund the National Series and Championships as we continue to lead the national combative SUP scene.