Race to the Castle 2026 – Natasha Sones takes on a 40km River Trent endurance paddle

Never one to let little things like speed and endurance stop me, I decided to enter an endurance Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP) race!

I decided to take on Race to the Castle (R2TC) and paddleboarding the River Trent. This epic challenge is 40km (25 miles) through lush, rolling countryside, starting at the Suspension Bridge, going along the winding River Trent and finishing at the iconic Newark Castle. It also features 5 locks to portage around.

The Race

Race to the Castle promised to be a “bucket-list paddle board event”. The longest one-way downriver race in the UK, it comprises 40km of downriver paddling... so pretty much a marathon SUP in one day!

It is an event that celebrates the strength, strategy and courage a paddler makes when they commit to an ultra-distance challenge. That’s exactly why I wanted to sign up for it – well, that and I was gently encouraged by friends! I also love that R2TC is a fun, friendly, safe and inclusive race open to all paddlers. You can enter by yourself, with family, friends or your SUP Club. My friends Claire, Sue, Peter, Ian, Eric, Anya, Peter, Lee-Ann and Frosty did it, as well as Red ambassadors Patrick, Chris and Ryan. My friend Rich was support crew on his trusty bike!

Paddlers have the option to take part in the R2TC either as part of the race, team or adventure fleet. Same route, same date. If you want to have the most available time enter the adventure category and if you want to test your skills, stamina and strategy enter the applicable race category for your board length.

The race welcomes paddlers from all over the world; USA, Germany, France, Vienna, Netherlands, Belgium and from all over the UK. Every finisher is awarded their R2TC Medal to wear with pride and the Top 3 fastest times in Male and Female across all categories will be crowned Kings and Queens of the river.

Equipment

As I have done with other challenges I’ve taken on – such as entering the French GlaGla SUP Race and paddleboarding solo in Finland for a week – I looked at kit and decided I needed to upgrade. Luckily I knew the handy folks at Red would be able to help out. I took on the GlaGla with the 13'2" Voyager, and the solo trip on the 12'6" Voyager. I currently paddle the 12'6" Sport but wanted something a bit longer and faster to take on the Race to the Castle.

I gave George from Red a ring to discuss options. I wasn’t sure I would be stable enough for their racing board, the Elite. But we both thought the Sport+ 14'0" by 28" would be perfect. They kindly offered to loan me the board for the race. During training I found it a little twitchy going from the 32" but it is surprisingly stable due to the extra length.

Training for a long SUP Race

I knew I definitely wouldn’t be racing for the front (having entered the Adventure category) but there is a cut-off time so I needed to train. This would be my longest paddle yet, but I do love a challenge.  

I started in November 2025 and I paddled all through the winter, in all conditions to improve my stamina. I received training advice and plans from Emily King Training and joined a gym. I did a 14-mile paddle on the River Medway in March,15 miles on the River Stour in April and 17 miles on the River Waveney just before the race.

I felt confident in my training; hours and hours of paddling in rain, snow and wind. Up and down rivers… as well as time in the gym. I’ve learnt about fuelling on paddles and hydration. I’ve improved and refined my technique to become a more efficient paddler. 

How it went

I went up the day before, on the Friday. It was bright and sunshiney, which was lovely. But it was making the paddlers a bit nervous and have to recalculate clothing and hydration! I decided to change from leggings to three quarter leggings and ditch the cag, instead having the Red Women’s Performance Top in my bag in case I needed another layer. I also wore the Red Performance T-Shirt which is moisture wicking and is great in hot weather, as it features UV protection with 50+ UPF.

I made sure I had enough fluids, with a hydration bladder in my Vaikobi buoyancy aid, as well as a bottle of squash with electrolytes, a bottle of coke and a couple of capri suns. We checked into our flat, had dinner, sorted out kit and got an early night.

Race Day

On Saturday it was a super early start. My alarm went off at 4am, up and out by 4.30 and met at the shuttle bus for 5am. Getting through registration was taking a bit longer than expected so the start of the race was delayed by 10 minutes. I started in wave 2, and the start line was chaotic but I just stayed on my knees until a lot of the paddlers had thinned out. 

My legs were shaking uncontrollably for the first 45 minutes so I stayed on my knees until it had gone. I figured it was adrenaline/nerves. I went off quite hard for the first 10 miles as I wanted to make sure I made the time cut off but came in well within. 

Gunthorpe Lock was the first check point and I needed to get there in 3 hours 45 to make it in the cut-off time. I got there in just under 3 hours so I was really pleased and relieved I had made the first bit.

There was a mandatory 10 minute break for all racers here but  I had a longer stop at Gunthorpe Lock to refuel, refill my water and go to the loo. There was a great atmosphere, with people saying hello and a gospel choir singing! After that it was 5 miles to the next refreshment stop. 

Hazleford Lock was Check Point 2 and again, I made it within the cut-off time of 12.30pm. I stopped here for a banana and drink of coke which helped. I was definitely starting to flag now. The portages were very hard, one was 800m! Carrying my board was tiring my arms and there were several high ladders to climb out of too. But the marshalls were great and encouraging and provided refreshments and encouragement. I also had my friend Rich, who cycled some of the route and met me at some of the locks to carry my board a bit. He also was a friendly face and was able to give me paracetamol etc. 

I slowed down a fair bit for the last 10 miles. I knew that this would be the hardest as it was going beyond the furthest distance I had paddled and I was already fatigued from the paddle, early start and portages. Plus the sun was now very hot and the temperature was around 19 degrees. The last section would also be quite lonely with no locks to meet people at, only a support boat cruising along.

Getting in from Hazelford Lock is quite tricky, going down a concrete staircase with a drop into the river. I’ve done bigger drops so it wasn’t too tricky but another lady was a bit scared so I helped her by bumping my board to hold hers steady.

To get me through the last stretch I sang Christmas songs in my head and nursery rhymes! I also counted paddle strokes, doing 50 on each side and getting into a natural rhythm. With endurance events it is the mental challenge rather than the physical and it was rather lonely for the last few hours. I had several friends racing but they were all faster then me so they were further ahead. What gave me a real boost was checking my messages at the locks and knowing my family and friends were tracking me. It made me feel less alone knowing they were dot watching me move along the river.

Towards the end I made a few friends on river and passed the time chatting to them. The miles slowly ticked away and soon there was only around four or five to go. I ended up paddling with two lads, Luke and Jake. We finally got to the last lock, Newark Town Lock, and the end was nearly in sight.

The Left Turn 

The last bit by the castle is very hard. After portaging, you have to cross over the bridge, dodging pedestrians with your board, get back onto the river and paddle the last stretch to finish. I said to Luke and Jake let’s paddle this last bit and finish together. So we paddled downstream past the castle, turned and then had to paddle the last bit upstream against the flow! Rich and my friends who had finished, Sue and Claire, walked along the tow path to walk beside us and shout words of encouragement. I hugged the bank to try and avoid the worst of the flow but it was a struggle. Finally we came back under the bridge and paddled the last little bit past Newark Castle to finish!

My official cut off time was 8 hours 14. I had been worried about cut off times but came in well within, thanks to the perfect weather conditions and very little wind. I was so thankful I had made it!

Afterwards there was an Event Village with fun sports activities, massage and recovery stations, food vendors and more.

After Party

Included in the event is the legendary after party at Newark Town Hall. This is where they did the award ceremony, and people had the chance to dance, socialise, and enjoy a few drinks after an epic day on the water. After showers and getting changed, my friends and I went along to the party. We had well-deserved fish and chips and a couple of drinks. I also danced a lot more than I thought I would be able to do after all that paddling!

The following day on Sunday, there were SUP demos and yoga in the park. I went along as my friends wanted to try some of the narrow boards. We then went for a much-needed big breakfast at the Castle Barge, where we watched paddlers going up and down the river I had been on the day before. We then went home, sunburnt and happy.

Thanks to all my buddies who did it with me and the paddle friends I caught up with. Love the SUP community! I never thought when I started paddleboarding that one day I would end up becoming an instructor and taking part in a SUP race. From struggling to stand to confidently paddling with 300 other paddlers, for 25 miles in 8 hours.  A huge part of my journey is in thanks to Red Equipment too, for such great support and amazing equipment and boards. The best in the business and a very supportive brand too. It was fab to see the other Red ambassadors Patrick Cruywagen, Ryan Owens and Chris Macdonald. Plus Amanda and Alf Garner who run the Red Facebook group.

Anyone else want to enter next year? See you at the castle!

Follow more of Natasha’s adventures @natashastarseeker on Instagram.