About Our Club
Reading Canoe Club has been in existence for over forty years and now has a new purpose built clubhouse. Based on the banks of the River Thames in the Warren, Caversham the club house offers boat storage, club room, showers, weights room, kitchen, servery, barbecue area all on a private site. The River Thames is a superb location on which to learn to canoe, train or participate in recreational activities.
The club offers a wide variety of canoeing including:
- Marathon (Longer races, for endurance. These start at 3 miles in local competitions, most are around 10 miles, but go up to 100's for those who want to.)
- Sprint (Short races over 200, 500 & 1000 metres in lanes. Olympic discipline.)
- Slalom (Competitions all over the UK, All grades of Rivers, canals and artificial sites. Courses usually range from 2 to 3 minute courses negotiating white water and approximately 25 control gates. Olympic discipline.)
- Recreational (For those who do not wish to race, just enjoy their canoeing.)
Opportunities exist for members to take part in a wide range of coaching and training activities.
(we do not hire boats out to non-members on an hourly/daily basis for recreational paddling.)
Canoeing is a sport for all and the club welcomes members of a wide variety of ages and abilities. The club also have provision for the disabled to enable such individuals to be fully integrated as members of the club.
The club is open 365 days a year.
Over the years the club has had numerous successes at national and international levels including participation in the Olympic Games. The club continues to remain successful at national and international events with members competing at junior and senior levels in sprint, marathon and slalom. We currently have 3 international sprint/marathon paddlers. The Club has a strong record in the Devizes to Westminster race, with many class winners over the years training at Reading. Brian Greenham still holds the Senior K2 record, since 1979.
At Reading we hold six marathon races a year and ran the National Marathon Championships in 2000. We have held a number of national events over the past 5 years. Our members have attended numerous events all over the world, the most popular including the Spanish Race Series, the Tour de Gudenå (Denmark) and the Liffey Descent (Ireland).
We have also hosted many foreign team on training camps in the UK
Most of our slalom paddlers in Div 1/Premier are members of the England team. Three of the juniors are also members of the
Great Britain Teams, Under 17's and Under 23's. Our team was 2nd at last years Inter Club Championship Finals but the 1st Club in England.
We arrange slalom river trips, weir trips, competitions and organise 3-4 training weekends every winter, during November-March and try to organise a summer international trip.
The club is a dynamic organization which with its new facilities has assured the development of the sport in the Reading area well in to the next millennium. We continue to grow and improve.
We have a fully equiped gym:
Reading Canoe Club is available for hire
The superb venue at Reading Canoe Club with picturesque views over the River Thames makes it an ideal location for meetings, conferences and other functions. The club room (which can hold 200) can be hired out for a variety of occasions. The British Canoe Union, Sport England, the DW Committee and many local businesses and groups have all used our room for their meetings.
Kitchen facilities (cooker/fridge/boiler/microwave as well as crockery & cutlery) are available. Tables and chairs are provided but audiovisual equipment is by arrangement only. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask
Download booking information flyer - (.pdf)
Please direct all enquiries to info@reading-canoe.org.uk
The main club room:
