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Registrations are now open for The Eliminator 2026, the UK’s unique endurance-style SUP race that challenges paddlers over sustained performance, teamwork and tactical consistency. Set for Saturday 11 July 2026 in Derby, United Kingdom, this marks the second edition of the event and introduces significant format expansions for both teams and solo competitors.
Organised by Greg Wingo and Cassie Salter — the duo behind Last Paddler Standing and Race to the Castle — The Eliminator is recognised as one of the world’s only dedicated team SUP races, built around a lap-by-lap eliminationstructure that rewards not just speed but resilience and strategic rotation.
Race Format & Mechanics
The race covers up to 24 laps over a 12-hour period, with each lap approximately 2.5 km long. What sets The Eliminator apart is its format:
Teams of two alternate laps, with only one paddler on the water per lap.
A 28-minute cut-off per lap keeps the pace high — if either paddler fails to meet the time limit, the whole team is eliminated.
From lap 13 forward, the slowest teams are progressively eliminated each lap until only top contenders remain vying for category titles and overall victory.
Categories include Male/Male, Female/Female, and Mixed teams, making it a truly inclusive endurance competition.
New for 2026: Solo & Wildcards
For the first time, solo paddlers can enter the Eliminator, racing every lap themselves under the same time limits. Solo competitors receive one Life Line — a strategic exemption that lets them skip a lap early in the race if needed — but don’t have access to wildcards or team-adaptive advantages.
Teams also benefit from tactical levers: two wildcards that allow paddling order swaps, and a Life Line card usable once in the first half of the race to manage unexpected delays — a rule designed to add depth to pacing strategy.
Why The Eliminator Matters
The Eliminator goes beyond a simple sprint or standard race format. Its hybrid endurance format — demanding longevity, consistency and mental toughness — makes it a standout in the UK SUP calendar and a proving ground for paddlers targeting ultra-distance and tactical racing disciplines.
Entries are open now at the official registration portal. Teams and solo athletes looking to test their limits should mark 11 July in their calendars.