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The senior races were the main highlight of the programme, especially the K1 Women Senior and K1 Men Senior events, both bringing together some of the strongest marathon paddlers in Europe.

 

In K1 Women Senior, Norway’s Anna Sletsjøe successfully defended her European title after another controlled and decisive performance. The 2025 European champion crossed the line in 2:05:23.67, only 2.30 seconds ahead of Hungary’s Panna Csepe, while Czechia’s Katerina Milova completed the podium in third. The race remained close until the final stages, but Sletsjøe once again proved her consistency at European level and became one of the few athletes to retain a 2025 title in this year’s Championships.

 

The K1 Men Senior race closed the day with one of the most anticipated contests of the Championships. Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, already one of the major names of the event, added the European long distance title to his 2026 campaign. Pedersen won the 29.80 km race in 2:07:15.95, just 1.86 seconds ahead of Norway’s Jon Vold after a tight battle at the front. Denmark also took bronze through Philip Knudsen, completing a very strong senior men’s kayak result for the Danish team. Great Britain’s James Russell, the 2025 European champion, finished sixth, meaning the K1 Men Senior title changed hands in Bascov.

 

The senior canoe races also produced important results. In C1 Women Senior, Ukraine’s Liudmyla Babak became European champion after winning the 15.40 km race in 1:21:08.85. Moldova’s Daniela Cociu, winner of the Short Race title earlier in the Championships, continued her excellent competition by taking silver, while Hungary’s Lili Matkovics finished third. The 2025 European champion, Ukraine’s Olena Tsyhankova, finished sixth, so this event also crowned a new champion in 2026.

 

In C1 Men Senior, Poland’s Mateusz Borgiel took the European title after a strong performance over 22.60 km. Borgiel won in 1:47:53.33, ahead of Portugal’s Rui Lacerda and Ricardo Coelho, who claimed silver and bronze for Portugal. The race had additional drama with 2025 European champion Manuel Campos unable to finish, while 2025 world champion Mateusz Zuchora finished fourth. Borgiel’s victory gave Poland a major senior canoe title in Bascov.

 

The junior programme opened the day with the K1 Men Junior race. Great Britain’s William Roeser continued his excellent Championships by adding the long distance European title to his Short Race victory. Roeser won in 1:39:48.55, ahead of Spain’s Favila Velasco and Belgium’s Seppe Loomans. The 2025 European title had belonged to Italy’s Leonardo Candela, meaning Great Britain took over the top position in 2026.

 

The K2 Women Junior race was another close contest. Denmark’s Karen Andersen and Frida Hinge won the European title in 1:27:06.38, ahead of Hungary’s Lili Kolozsvari and Panka Zatyko, while Portugal’s Beatriz Sá and Joana Peixoto completed the podium. Hungary had held the European title in 2025, but Denmark took the crown this year after a strong team performance.

 

In C2 Men Junior, Spain kept the European title with Adrian Hermelo and Alvaro Pedrosa winning the race in 1:12:42.20. Ukraine’s Zakhar Fedak and Matvii Pochynok finished second, while Hungary’s Barnabas Budai and Tamas Gyenei took bronze. With Spain also listed as the 2025 European champion nation in this event, the country retained its position at the top of the junior men’s canoe crew boat category.

 

Overall, the day showed both continuity and change across the European Marathon programme. Anna Sletsjøe successfully defended her K1 Women Senior title, and Spain retained the C2 Men Junior crown, while the remaining events produced new European champions. The senior kayak races delivered two of the biggest stories of the day: Sletsjøe’s title defence and Mads Pedersen’s victory in a thrilling K1 Men Senior final.

 

 

K1 Men Junior: William Roeser, Great Britain
C1 Women Senior: Liudmyla Babak, Ukraine
K2 Women Junior: Karen Andersen / Frida Hinge, Denmark
C1 Men Senior: Mateusz Borgiel, Poland
K1 Women Senior: Anna Sletsjøe, Norway
C2 Men Junior: Adrian Hermelo / Alvaro Pedrosa, Spain
K1 Men Senior: Mads Pedersen, Denmark

 

 

Anna Sletsjøe successfully defended her K1 Women Senior European title.

 

Spain retained the C2 Men Junior European title as a nation.

 

The other titles decided today changed hands, with new champions crowned in K1 Men Junior, C1 Women Senior, K2 Women Junior, C1 Men Senior and K1 Men Senior.

 

With the senior races now decided, the 2026 Paddle Europe Marathon Championships continue to deliver major performances, close finishes and new stories for European Canoe Marathon.