Words:
David Partridge

David Partridge

Photos:
Brian Chapman

Glasgow to Edinburgh: Please accept the challenge!

Paddle Scotland hosts several events throughout the year. This one offered an incredible opportunity to paddle the canals linking the two principal cities in Scotland. Organiser Margaret Chapman even arranged wonderful weather, which led to course records tumbling! 

Falkirk Council ran the inaugural Glasgow to Edinburgh (G to E) race in 1982, and Margaret competed for the first time in 1983. In 1987, the organisation of the event was taken on by volunteers from the Scottish Canoe Association. Kirkcaldy Canoe Club now organises it with Margaret, husband Brian, daughter April and other volunteers.

Starting in Glasgow at Spiers Wharf, you get to choose your start time —unusually for a race. This seemed challenging, but chatting to other paddlers, you quickly work out a time to hit the finish window in the afternoon. A gang of SUPs, a Canadian Canoe, and a few new paddlers met at 09:00, leaving soon after, the faster K2 and K1 canoes starting later.

Your time is recorded and monitored at various checkpoints, with the half-dozen marshals leapfrogging ahead. Brian Chapman, in the past, cycled the entire length, marshalling paddlers and bringing in the last craft.

Forth and Clyde Canal
The canal system was extensively restored at the Millennium, and the Falkirk Wheel was installed to link the two historic canals connecting Glasgow and Edinburgh. The first day (24 miles) is on the Forth and Clyde Canal, opened in 1790, which finishes at Falkirk.

The route quickly enters the countryside with tree-lined canals resplendent in Autumn foliage. Toward the end, there are four portages around locks. There are opportunities to paddle alongside other entrants or to chat to the ever-present marshals, who provide encouragement, note times, and are on hand to help anyone who needs assistance.

Arriving in Falkirk, your time is recorded, before paddling on a couple of hundred metres to take a close look at the Falkirk Wheel and to visit the information centre and café!

The organisation is apparently simple, a great WhatsApp group is active before the race and provides answers and offers of help. It also lets the organisers know of retirement or success. This year, a late-finisher Canadian Canoe on day one provided the group with wonderful pictures of their triumphant arrival in Falkirk.

The second day (31 miles) starts the other side of the famous Falkirk Wheel on the Union Canal, which opened in 1822 and is a contour canal (so no locks or portages over its entire length). Start times, chosen by the organisers, create a mass finish in Edinburgh.

After about two miles, you enter a stunning tunnel, then paddle through historic towns like Linlithgow. The canal is a fantastic feat of engineering, cut into hillsides or spanning valleys on huge aqueducts. It is strange paddling along, looking down 200 feet to the river below. The restoration includes a switchback where the M8 motorway cuts across to preserve the contoured canal, lock-free.

Finally, the centre of Edinburgh arrives in view with an excellent final stretch along parkland and streets. I was overtaken by several speeding canoes. At the finish, there are hugs and applause, every competitor gets a medal, and there is a final prizegiving before everyone helps each other load craft onto roof racks to head home.

Logistics
The event is two days. Having a start in one major city and finishing in another seems daunting, but the time between Edinburgh and Glasgow by road is only two hours. Many chose to stay in Falkirk. On WhatsApp or by discussion, people share lifts back and forth. There were several shuttle options, and everyone was friendly and tried to share transport.

At the start and finish, the organisers have arranged parking and access with Canal Scotland, so the distance to carry the craft is minimal. The route also has an excellent towpath providing an opportunity for supporters or relay teams to cycle alongside. There is a guide to vantage points, road crossings and good places to swap relay teams.

The start times are indicative, and the organisers are very helpful, ensuring people’s actual times are recorded and there is no start-line pressure at all. The route, of course, provides a perfect excuse to have a holiday and explore Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Records and winners:
This year, the weather was perfect, so course records tumbled:
l Five SUPs beat the old course record for total time over the two days of 14:40:00. Alison Rennie set a new course (f) record of 12:17:08, and Chris Davison posted a new record of 11:1:36.

• In the women’s division, Margaret Chapman’s record of 8:51:57 in the Masters (over 49) class, set in 2012, was shaved by Sharron Colley from Hereford, who came in at 8:47:28.
• Shaun Thrower and Steve King in the K2 also posted an over-49-year record of 8:38:00. Overall winners (also from Hereford in K2) were Jeffery Hyde and John Jackson.

Sharron Colley
Sharron Colley, paddling a Kirton Typhoon K1, has been with Hereford Kayak Club for 23 years. Her previous achievements include:

• Devizes Westminster (DW) in 2007, the veteran ladies’ K2 record.
• 1st Lady Yukon River Quest, 2011. Returning to the Yukon in 2012, she raced in a Voyageur Canoe (six women), setting a new ladies’ record which still stands.

“I have raced G to E before in 2006. It was a race I wanted to go back to, as it is always so friendly and well organised. We managed to get three crews from Hereford to the race this year. We achieved 1st and second place in K2, and 1st place in K1.

“I found this year’s G To E longer than I remember! But the friendliness and organisation were as good as ever.  The start was relaxed but efficient—plenty of verbal support from checkpoint Marshalls along the way. The results were quickly announced, with following-day start times and super photos, and very nicely designed medals and a presentation.

“It is a race run by paddlers for paddlers. My advice for anyone thinking  of doing it:  It’s a great, well-organised, friendly race- do it.”

Several other great characters were demonstrating how inclusive the challenge is Greg Manning had to pull out with a niggling injury on day two, but holds innumerable records for over-75s. No one can quite recall how many DW or G to Es he has completed, but many! Saira Is-Haq must have the record for the most vocal support; her lovely family seemed to be on every bridge and at every vantage point between Glasgow and Edinburgh!

The route can also be paddled over more time, and there is detail on the route: www.scottishcanals.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/ paddling/the-glasgow-to-edinburgh-canoe-trail.

Margaret Chapman
When I started checking on Margaret Chapman’s paddling career (she is rather self-effacing), I came across a Glasgow headline, which read, “Local schoolteacher leads an exciting double life. She is a top international canoeist established as one of the best in her age group worldwide.”

I think she is the Scottish paddling equivalent of Wonder Woman!

Margaret started paddling through scouts and guides activities and was a founding member of Kirkcaldy Canoe Club in 1979. She first paddled the G to E in 1983 (when the event ran from Edinburgh to Falkirk). Since then, she has been a frequent participant in KI or K2 with her husband, Brian.

Her paddling resume is incredible. She casually reeled off DW (Devizes to Westminster), where she has taken part in mixed K2 and K1 (including first lady in 1991 in K1), medalled at the Gudena (Dk) and Descent of Liffey (IRL). She has also frequently competed in the Sella (ESP), a massive event with 1000 paddlers! She is no stranger to the podium with several UK National championship victories in K1 and K2. This year she has won the Scottish Marathon and Nith Descent trophies.

“My early paddling, of course, included sprints and general club racing, but I have always been drawn to marathon events.”

Marathon canoeing, described as a fun but challenging endurance sport, happens across the country on rivers, lakes and canals. It offers progressive challenges from a couple of miles or kilometres to the ultimate challenge of the 125-mile Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race. Margaret is often a podium finisher at the British National Open Marathon Racing Championships, perhaps most notably in 2018, when she took silver and gold in K1 and K2 (paddling with Ursula Mackintosh).

Husband Brian often shares podium positions at marathons, as well as in whitewater and sprints. A canoeist since secondary school (1970s) with a competition background in Slalom, White Water Racing and Marathon (Div 3). He is a previous President of the Scottish Canoe association (now Paddle Scotland) serving for 12 years, then as Chair of the Board and has been a member of The International Canoe Federation, canoe marathon committee since 2021. Both are deeply passionate about fostering grassroots participation and developing the sport of paddling.

For quite a few years now, the Chapmans have coordinated the G to E challenge, which is still promoted and managed by Kirkcaldy Canoe Club. “The club and committee needed volunteers and that has been us, recently I have paddled as part of a club relay, but we have concentrated on running the event.”

This year, Margaret’s longstanding record (from 2012) for the women’s K1 fell to Sharron Colley. As I found out, you could not be in better hands!

A quick catch-up with Margaret

What has the development of G to E looked like?
Originally, there was no relay option, and for the first few years, participation didn’t exceed 20 boats. Relays were introduced in late 1980’s to open up participation to a wider range of paddlers and this significantly increased the number of paddlers taking part with 100 on a regular basis in the early 2000’s when we had a big uptake from Scottish clubs entering relay teams.

Over the last few years, we have seen more solo paddlers and fewer teams. I think this started during the pandemic. We still get K2s or two-boat relays, and we’ve seen teams cycling and paddling, swapping from bike to kayak along the route. Previously, we had more 12-man teams and often clubs putting in adults and juniors in mixed teams.

I think paddlers now understand distance events better, so the prospect of 50 km in a day is not so frightening. We are also seeing many older paddlers happy to take on distance events.

I am very happy to see this as an open event: canoes, SUPs, kayaks, all ages and abilities. We want it to be a challenge primarily, not a race. We have entries from racing clubs, but increasingly we are seeing individuals who want a challenge. Paddleability teams have also taken part, and we have relaxed the rules on assistance at portages for them to enable this. A few years ago, we had a K4 competing and a C2 sit-and-switch. If you can paddle and can meet our time guidelines, just enter.

How do you feel about losing the course record?
Congratulations to Sharron. She, of course, has held the younger category record herself before. It is wonderful that she has travelled back to the event. Of course, the weather this year was kind, allowing some records to be broken. The SUP times show this: no cold biting headwind, no rain. It has been a long time for a record to stand!

What would you like to see at the event?
More of the same, I am not challenging the competitors; they challenge themselves. I must emphasise that this is a challenge, not a race. We ask people to consider their ability, and they choose start times to meet a finish window on the first day, governed by daylight and logistics. We can then set the start for the second, longer day with confidence. It is always good to see teams. My question for all of you: “Will you accept a challenge?”

This was my first Glasgow to Edinburgh, not many SUPs enter it, but the whole experience was supportive, friendly and enabling. The paddling community in Scotland welcomed us all, and the event organisation was brilliant. I don’t think it will be my last, and I would echo Margaret’s comment, “Will you accept a challenge?”

If so, it’s the second weekend of October in 2026, put it in your new diary now!