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A total of 150 pus  athletes representing more than 15 nations are expected to take part in the Championships. The programme will include around 200 individual and C2 starts, as well as up to 50 team entries, confirming the strong interest in this European Masters event.

The Championships will be held on the natural river course in St. Ruprecht ob Murau, located in the scenic Mur Valley in Styria. The venue offers an authentic whitewater environment, with a wide riverbed, flexible gate-setting possibilities and sections ranging between whitewater grade 2 and 3. These conditions are expected to provide fair, technical and exciting racing across all age categories.

Open to paddlers aged 35 and over, the Paddle Europe Masters Slalom Championships are designed not only as a competitive event, but also as a meeting point for the wider canoe slalom community. Athletes will compete across kayak, canoe and C2 events, with individual races decided over two runs, where the best run counts for the final result. Team races will also be part of the programme.

In addition to the Masters categories, younger athletes from the age of 11 will take part in guest classes. Many of these young paddlers are children, relatives or club members of the Masters athletes and will race in the first runs, also serving as forerunners for the Masters events. This format adds a strong intergenerational dimension to the Championships and reflects the community spirit of the event.

The event is being organised by SPORTUNION St. Ruprecht/Falkendorf, with the support of the Austrian canoeing community.

Several well-known names from the canoe slalom world will be present in Austria. Among the participants is Olympic champion Elena Kaliská, while the start list also includes some past world champions, Olympic participants and former national team athletes competing across the different performance classes.

The Championships will also include some special highlights. The oldest competitors are Waltraud Ströbel in the women’s 70+ category and Wolfgang Ernst, aged 84, who will compete in both C1 and K1. Another important moment will be the women’s C2 event, which is expected to take place for the first time at a Masters Championship.

Beyond the competition, the event will also offer a strong social programme. The prize-giving ceremony on Saturday will be accompanied by a brass band, which will also perform during the closing party, bringing athletes, families, officials and supporters together after the races.

Live results will be available online through the event website, www.EMC-Slalom.at, with the link expected to be published closer to the start of the competition.

With 150 plus Masters athletes, 15 plus nations, a natural whitewater course and a field that includes Olympic and world-level experience, the 2026 Paddle Europe Masters Slalom Championships promise exciting racing and a special celebration of canoe slalom across generations.