START TAKES PLACE IN GROUPS.

 

There are three starting groups

ELITE, SUPER and MARATHON
The changes do not concern RAFT, SUP and self-made boats that take off from the Roosisaare bridge.

This year, competitors on canoes and kayaks will be divided into starting groups, according to the result of the previous year (18. VM. 2023) and previous achievements.

Boats with a legitimate interest who fill out the following questionnaire will be allowed to start from the ELITE or SUPER group. Only one crew member must respond.

19th VÕHANDU MARATHON
April 20, 2024

Võhandu Marathon garantees to surprise you

The marathon runs from Lake Tamula to Võõpsu boat harbor. Self-challenging challenges lie ahead on the 100-kilometer trail. It is everyone's story about the river, beauty and pain, suffering and pleasure. At the finish, all the finishers can say in praise: "I've paddled the whole river in one day!" This is your 100-kilometer story. Come and invite a friend! Paddle as a participant or support yours on the river bank!
Good luck with your trainings and see you at the start.
Remember! "You can do more than you think"

Your five-year paddling plan in Estonia

19th VM 2024 April 20
20th VM 2025 April 19
21st VM 2026 April 18
22nd VM 2027 April 24
23rd VM 2028 April 22

If your desire is to see pristine nature and spend one athletic day paddling, this is the marathon for you. Remember! "You Can Do More Than You Think". Every kilometer you recall later on the sauna deck is pure pleasure. You want it over and over, it may not be right now, but it won't give you peace anymore. WE WILL MEET April 20, 2024 in Võru.

To the start of the marathon are allowed maximum 1500 boats (about 2,700 paddlers), the registratsion begins 1-st of january at 12:00:01 am (in Estonian time) Registration runs until the 31-st of march or until 1500 boats are filled.

Maps

Nature

After leaving Lake Tamula in Võru, the riverbanks are low, but they rise gradually until after some hours of canoeing the river enters a primeval valley. The steep and forested riverbanks of the primeval valley are interspersed with adjoining valleys and numerous sandstone outcrops. There are many springs and caves in the sandstone cliffs and adjoining valleys. In the last part of the marathon the riverbanks are low again. 

There are great views from the river of wild forests, meadows and sandstone outcrops that our ancestors used to call walls. 

Seven water mills have been built on the river, only ruins are left of some of them - passing the dams of these water mills should get your adrenaline going. 

18th Võhandu marathon 2023

22. april
1073 boats started  1033 finished    96%

Entered 1153
Started 1073 (-80)
Finishers 1033 (-40)
Entered
Started
Finishers		 2507
2411
2317
Men S 1992
F 1915
Women S 419
F 401
Fastest Time 07:31:10
Average Time 13:18:06
Slowest Time 22:33:43

More than 2,300 paddlers

finished the Võhandu Marathon

On April 22, at seven o'clock in the morning of Saturday, the world's largest paddling marathon started in Võru, a small town in Estonia. A total of 2,507 participants from 24 countries registered for the 18th Võhandu Marathon. There were 1073 boats at the start in the morning, of which 1033 crossed the finish line. For the first time in the history of the Võhandu Marathon, over a thousand boats with 2317 competitors reached the finish line. Warm, sunny weather and fast currents from high water contributed to the setting of the record.

The Võhandu Marathon is a 100-kilometer adventure sports event in Estonia that takes place every year in April, in which thousands of paddlers from many foreign countries take part. The marathon runs from Lake Tamula to Võõpsu boat harbor. It is everyone's story about the river, beauty and pain, suffering and pleasure.

For the first time, the first place went to the Czech Republic. Petr Mojzisek, who participated in the K1MEN class, reached the finish with a time of 07:31:10. He was followed by K2MEN Lithuanian men Vaidas Linkevicius and Arunas Dubauskas, with a time of 07:44:08. And the third Lithuanian man, Jonas Ragauskas, who competed in the K1MEN class, was also in the top three, with a time of 07:48:05.

The first women, Estonians Linda Tetsmann and Anette Baum, in the K2WOM class reached the 7th place overall with a time of 08:09:25. The last boat, the 1033rd place finisher of the marathon, arrived at the finish line on Sunday morning, when 22 hours and 33 minutes had already passed since the start.

We welcome all paddling enthusiasts from around the world to the 19th Võhandu Marathon on April 20, 2024.

The Võhandu Marathon photo bank is free for journalists to use. Photos include the author's name. https://www.vohandumaraton.ee/en/gallery/