This past weekend saw a spectacular coming-together of the UK’s paddleboarding community as the Paddle UK Regatta joined forces with the GBSUP British Sprint Championships for a landmark event at Nottingham’s world-class venue.

Paddlers competed across Elite, Open, and Junior categories in a festival of speed, skill, and sportsmanship, with personal bests, national titles, and even a new course record set under the eyes of a passionate crowd.
Elite Men’s Sprint Final
An electric performance from Dawid Kuleta (Poland) saw him shatter the existing race record with a time of 54.06 seconds. Just milliseconds behind, James Little crossed in 54.68, earning him the British Sprint Title. Joe Jones completed the podium with a strong finish at 1:00.24 closely followed by GBSUP race director Scott Warren at 1:01.25.
Elite Women’s Sprint Final
The women’s elite division was equally fierce, with World Masters 50+ Sprint Champion Anna Little taking the top spot in 1:09.80. Close behind, Scotland’s Sprint Champion Jennifer Ng-Armstrong finished in 1:10.66.
The race for third was a highlight of the day — Sarah Maxey just edged out Julia Kuleta and Gemma Palmer-Dighton to claim bronze in 1:14.09.
Open Men’s Sprint Final
The Open Men’s final delivered one of the most thrilling moments of the weekend with a photo finish separating the top three. Congratulations to:
1st - J Parker 1:10.24
2nd - P Doe 1:10.29
3rd - R Cummings 1:10.64
Open Women’s Sprint Final
A breakout performance from Bella Keane, who had never raced on a SUP board before this weekend, stunned spectators. With just one day of paddling experience and coming from the C1 canoe discipline, Bella stormed to 1st place in the Open Women’s final.
Close behind, Michaela Afford took 2nd place, with Amy Fuller finishing strong to claim 3rd. With new names stepping confidently onto the racing scene, the future of women’s SUP racing looks bright.
Juniors
The youngest competitor of the day stole plenty of hearts and earned his place at the top: 8-year-old A Radoicovici took home the Junior title with determination, skill, and a bright future ahead.
Congratulations to all competitors and a huge thank you to all the volunteers, supporters, and organisers who made the event a celebration of speed, spirit, and SUP community. With British records broken, new champions crowned, and a mother–son duo at the top of the podium, this year’s sprint championships were truly unforgettable.
Thanks to Jennifer Ng-Armstrong from the Water Sports Academy for sharing this report.
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