Mark and Robin from the racing section have been deep in training for this year’s Yukon 1000 race. https://www.yukon1000.org
This is recognised as one of world’s most gruelling journeys https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/worlds-most-grueling-1000-mile-race-down-yukon-180982111/ and (if you can’t win the DW ) for some represents the pinnacle of what can be achieved.
Mark was lucky enough to do the race in 2025 with Julie as Team Bristol Train after which we made a film to share the experience at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqeZ5224-2U
This year Mark and Robin are racing as Team March and Paddle https://www.yukon1000.org/racer-teams-2026/marchpaddle/ and are raising money in support of military veterans with mental health issues. https://www.gofundme.com/f/yukon-1000-1000-miles-for-mental-health
Luckily for Mark, Robin joined the Bristol Canoe Club to help with his training so when Robin’s original partner Warren had to (in April) drop out of the race, Mark was delighted to drop in. Despite Mark having trained for the Devizes to Westminster a massive upslope in training was needed to catch up with Robin and get in shape for the race. This led to a massive May of 123 hours of training. We initially had a trip to paddle the Great Glen in both directions which (excepting the final portages into Inverness) we managed in a little less than 3 days. The lakes were extremely challenging (especially Loch Ness, bad in both directions – a serious place with steep banks, few gets outs and very cold water) and Loch Lochy on the return where a block headwind reduced our average speed to 2.9 mph all the while being pounded by waves. Also don’t forget a portage trolley as the carries are long!
For those contemplating the Great Glen race it is best to consider the race as an unsupported adventure rather than an extended marathon as if you get badness on the lakes, they are very cold and you may be on your own. However it is a lovely paddle.
Our major training block was to be on the Loire. Taking the ferry from Portsmouth, after again forgetting our portage trolley, we drove, with a 3 hour detour to get one, down to Roanne in central France. This is where the Loire 725 starts and represents the best place to start with a double sea kayak. There are several hundred paddlable kilometres upstream but with many portages and in places a narrow rocky river so no place for our boat. Julie and Mark paddled from Roanne to St Nazaire in 2025 over 13 days training. This year, because of Mark’s late entry, we decided to paddle longer each day and hoped to do the 470 miles in 9 days. Our aim was to do 50+ miles per day with a long final day being flushed out on the tide. The weather (monster heat wave, still 30 degree C at midnight) and a low (at least a metre) slow river (1-2 mph less than 2025) made this a huge challenge. 10-12 hour training days followed to make the obligatory 50 mile per day minimum. The river is extremely beautiful, full of rowdy birds, often lined by forests and excellent for wild camping. For those used to the River Avon we saw 1 bit of rubbish in 430 miles and there were only 2 slightly smelly bits of river. It was so hot we had to swim every few hours. A consequence of the low river was numerous deep scratches on the boat and daily applications of epoxy resin and gorilla tape. The Loire is mostly a wild river and hence like the Wye (but without the sewage) can get really low in places with unavoidable little obstructions. There are a few arduous portages (weirs related to power stations and an obstructed old bridge) but mostly it is just paddle, paddle, paddle. There are lots of little rapids (mostly grade 1) but over the 9 day trip probably six short grade 2 rapids mostly related to rubble from old bridges. At some towns you have to get out and scout out the correct bridge arch to pass through. At the end of day 4 we treated ourselves to an Oringina and a shower at the lovely but basic campsite at St Benoit Sur Loire. Day 6 scuppered our chances of getting to St Nazaire as like last year the bridges at Blois put a hole on our boat ending our day at 15 miles. Instead of the deep scratch we had last year, this year we took a big chunk out of the bow which could easily have ended our trip. We are not sure if it was the hidden 2 foot drop into rubble in the marked navigation channel on the eastern edge of town or the pile of rocks under the motorway bridge at the west end that did for us but either way we found the boat to be uncontrollable as the front storage compartment was filled with water. Navigating the motorway bridge led to Mark losing his paddle and Mark paddling off with Robin’s paddle to retrieve his with Robin swimming behind. This was a good opportunity to practice remounting the boat in deep water and then seek a bank to inspect and repair the boat. Fortunately some waterproof putty and lashings of epoxy secured the hull. Luckily the repair held so we were able to enjoy 3 more long days reaching a campsite on the eastern edge of Nantes just as the incoming tide threatened to send us back upstream – a long ferry glide against the tide to cross to the other bank was a good final test of our fitness. One remarkable thing about the Loire is how remote it feels for Europe and how few river users there are – apart from a kayak club at Nevers we passed 3 kayaks, 2 canoes and one paddle board on our journey. A few powered boats had fishermen but that was about it apart from a wild camping area where many locals came to. So a hard but fun training holiday (430 miles, 9 days, 7 wild camps, 1 hole in the boat, 1 week long heat wave and lots of swimming) ended with a celebratory beer and pizza. We learnt lots about making our camping more efficient, better ways of obtaining clean water, best use of food rations and how if you just keep going you can feel better as the week goes on. All of these give us confidence that our wilderness and endurance training has got us to a good place and that provided the last weeks of training go well that we can leave for Whitehorse with hope for a smooth journey down the Yukon.
(Editor) Mark and Robin successfully completed there Yukon 1000 decent
