GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

I’m really pleased to announce Guinness have finally confirmed my world record for the fastest time to SUP the non-tidal River Thames. The official world record starts in Lachlade and finishes at Teddington Lock, 200km and 44 locks later.

The record had sat at 65 hours for some years and I looked at taking on the attempt as part of my training for the Yukon 1000 back in 2022, but the attempt went on the back burner and to be honest I kind of forgot about it, that was until the inaugural Thames Ultra 200km that took place in August 2024.

The race followed the exact route and the start / finish matched the record attempt guidance - and going for the record as part of an organised event would (I had assumed) make collecting all the evidence and witness statements a little easier with established check points on route and Olympic timekeepers looking after the timings and finish line.

Shortly before the 2024 race, the record broken again and reduced to 37.5 hours. I was still confident in my abilities to do the distance in a quicker time (my SUP 11 Cities 220km non-stop time from 2023 was 31.5 hours for a similar distance); but there were a few considerable unknowns that had the potential to really scupper the attempt - firstly having to go through / up / over 44 locks was going to really slow me down (and you cannot have any outside assistance to carry board or gear when walking the locks). I also had to film myself for 4 mins every hour for Guinness evidence so this meant stopping paddling to start a go pro, then paddle, then stop it and ensure it was charging.

I had great support from friend Paul who was on hand at each checkpoint to capture evidence and witness statements and a load of volunteers at checkpoints and locks cheering me on. I got a little lost in the night and ended up in a boat yard adding 3km to my total distance.

I completed the race, and the WR attempt in 31 hours and 57 mins. And I thought that was the hard bit done - but little did I know! Dealing with Guinness is ‘challenging’.

They had a 12 week timeline on reviewing applications - but it took 6 months for them to first acknowledge the attempt, and they asked for additional evidence that then took another 6 months for them to review. And then they went silent, for months. I kind of gave up chasing - until just before Christmas when I got the email confirming the word record attempt!

I’m sure the record will be set again this year - there are plenty that can do it faster - but don’t forget - there’s a lot more to getting a world record than just paddling!

Good luck to anyone giving it a go and I’m here to help with tips and tricks; drop me a message!