Words by DW comms team
The 2025 ThruDark Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race concluded in a showdown on the tideway as Tom Sharpe and Anoushka Freeman overhauled a one minute deficit at Teddington to win the Senior Doubles event by four minutes.
As the fastest crews arrived at Teddington, it was clear there was going to be a three-way fight for the win between Sharpe and Freeman, Joe Peterson and Brynde Kreft and Billy Butler and Jon O’Grady.
At Teddington the three crews were separated by just three minutes and Sharpe and Freeman were second, a minute behind Peterson and Kreft. But they managed to put in a blistering sprint on the tideway to win with a time of 17h17m23 seconds, securing their second consecutive Senior Doubles victory.
Peterson and Kreft were second, while Butler and O’Grady rounded out the top three.
Conditions were much calmer than in 2024, but a strong headwind and cold temperatures overnight made it a demanding race and nearly 50% of the competitors retired.
There were also several fantastic performances in the Stages Race.
Elmbridge Canoe Club’s George Durden won the Senior Singles class with a time of 15h51m09s, while Sienna Payne won the Senior Ladies class by nearly three and a half hours.
Lochie Lovell and Fletcher Cramer were the class of the Junior Doubles, winning their class by over three hours.
Patrick McCormack won the inaugural SUP class and Colin and Gabe Davies won in the Junior Veteran category.
It wasn’t solely about the class winners though. Plenty of paddlers were taking on the race with the sole aim of making it to the end, while others were taking part to raise money for charity. It was great to see so many paddlers of a wide range of abilities taking on the race, proving that with the right training, hard work and mental resilience, it is possible to complete the event.
It was a fantastic weekend of racing and we can’t wait to see competitors on the water again at Easter in 2026.
If you’re interested in taking on the race next year, or you’d like to learn more about the event, please go to www.dwrace.co.uk.