The World Championships, held annually, are the pinnacle event for Canoe Marathon's top athletes. In addition to crowning individual champions in each event, national teams are also honoured in the categories of men's kayak, women's kayak, men's canoe and women's canoe. Event winners in the men's and women's C1 and K1 events also earn points to contribute to their World Series rankings. The best performed athletes throughout the season in each category are presented with these awards at the end of the World Championships, the culmination of the season.