COURSE DETAILS AND TIDE TIMES
Locks closed to support crews
For information on locks where access is not permitted to support crews, please see "Advice to Competitors and their Supporters" and any final race day announcements.
Course Mileages & List of Checkpoints
Click here for the chart [PDF document - opens in new window]
Portage Diagrams
Click here for portage diagrams [PDF document - opens in new window]
Mid Section - River Thames from Dreadnought Reach to Teddington Lock
Diagram of Locks and Weirs
One of the principal hazards of this section is the series of locks and weirs. Paddlers should memorise the lay-out of locks very carefully before the race. It is also the responsibility of each paddler to assess whether they can cope with the prevailing river conditions. The Environment Agency provides live information about the strength of flow along the length of the River Thames. This may be found here.
High Tide at Teddington
SPECIAL NOTE FOR 2013
In 2013 British Summer Time begins during the Easter weekend. For this year only the race, which begins in GMT, will be run completely in GMT until it finishes on Monday.
| Sunday morning 31st March 2013 | 0509 GMT |
| Sunday evening 31st March 2013 | 1733 GMT |
| Monday morning 1st April 2013 | 0549 GMT |
Tideway
The Tideway is a particularly challenging and potentially hazardous section of the course with fast-moving tidal water and high volumes of river traffic. There are also official "rules of the road" and signals on bridges which paddlers should understand and obey.
The Port of London Authority has a website with information and advice for recreational river users. All race entrants should familiarise themselves with this material for their own safety. There is a section devoted to canoeists and there is also an instructional video entitled Rowing Through Central London which is strongly recommended. The site may be found here.
