Coast to Coast kayak training program

Most people who enter the Coast to Coast are runners or cyclists first. The kayak stage is the one they worry about, and it is the one where good preparation pays back the most. Seventy kilometres of grade 2 river is not a fitness test you can bluff. It rewards an efficient stroke, a body that can sit in a boat for four to six hours, and enough river time that the water stops being frightening.

This program exists so you are not guessing. It tells you what to do each week from the end of winter to race day, in the order that gets you to the start line strong, uninjured and confident. It is the plan I hand to every Coast to Coast paddler I coach, and the one I follow myself.

It is a paddling program. You still need your Grade 2 certificate, your river days and your safety gear. What this gives you is the fitness and the stroke that make all of those things easier, and a structure to make sure you are race ready.

• What the stage asks of you
• The three blocks
• A week in the program
• What is inside
• Who it is for
• Common questions

What the stage asks of you

The kayak leg runs from Mt White Bridge to the Waimakariri Gorge Bridge, about 70 kilometres of braided river, gorge and long flat sections between the rapids. It is graded 2, which means moving water with clear channels, small drops and features you can see coming. Competitors need a Grade 2 kayaking skills certificate issued within the last two years before they can start.

Race day has cut-offs and they matter for anyone in the middle of the field. One-day competitors must be on the water at Mt White by 3.00pm. Everyone must reach Gooseberry by 4.30pm, Woodstock by 7.00pm and the Gorge Bridge by 8.15pm. Most paddlers spend anywhere from four to six hours on the river. Fast ones are under four.

Three things decide how that day goes. Whether your stroke holds together at hour four. Whether your back, shoulders and hips can tolerate the seat time. And whether you have seen enough river to pick lines without panic. The program trains all three, in that order.

The three blocks

The program is periodised: each block has its own job, its own volume and intensity, and a lighter week before the next one starts. That is what keeps you improving without breaking. Skipping straight to river laps in December will help you get down safely. The flat water training and strength work before that is what gets you down faster.

Block 1: base and injury prevention

Late July into August is the hardest time to start paddling, because it is cold and the water is uninviting. It is also when the base is best to be built. This block is about paddling kilometres on flat water, locking in an efficient stroke, and gym work that protects the shoulders and lower back for what is coming. River skills can wait a few weeks. A good flat-water stroke makes every river session that follows more valuable.

Block 2: endurance and sub-threshold

With some strength and distance in the bank, the long paddles get longer and the first sub-threshold work appears: sustained efforts just under the pace you could hold for an hour. Gym sessions shift from foundation to power. This is also the window to chase river opportunities and local races without letting them replace the flat-water work that is still doing most of the building.

Block 3: river-specific work and course recon

The final weeks get specific. More river days, ideally including the Waimakariri itself three to four weeks out so you can scout line options and hazards before race day. Volume comes down, intensity holds, and the last ten days are a taper so you arrive fresh. Use a local river guide company or an experienced friend for the recon paddle if you do not have a group.

A week in the program

Every week follows the same shape, so you always know what kind of day it is. The exact sessions come from the library, and you pick the version that fits your schedule and your current level.

The plan is a format to follow, not a contract. Life, work and weather will move sessions around. What matters is that the long paddle happens every week, the gym work is consistent early, and you do not trade all your flat-water time for river time until the last block.

Who it is for

It is written for the paddler who has entered, has or is getting their Grade 2, and wants to know what to do on Tuesday. That covers most of the field: first-timers in a team, Two Day individuals, and Longest Day athletes who are strong on the bike and the run and want the kayak to stop being the weak leg.

If you are chasing a podium, the program still works as a base. Get in touch and we can adjust the intensity and the river load around your other two disciplines.

I paddled the 2025 stage on a surf ski, starting midfield in a family team, and finished in 4 hours 14 minutes, the second fastest kayak time of the event. That day was built on exactly this structure. The program does not make you me. It makes sure the work you do between now and February is the work that counts.

Common questions