The 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Marathon season was one to remember with thrilling performance at both The World Games and World Championships. Let’s reflect on some of the biggest moments of the year. 

Nordic stars shine in Chengdu and Gyor 

Sweden’s Melina Andersson and Denmark’s Mads Brandt Pedersen are continuing to establish themselves as the respective kayak queen and king of marathon racing. The Nordic stars reigned supreme in 2024 and they did the same in 2025. In Chengdu, Andersson and Pedersen came away with two World Games crowns after triumphing over the short and long distance events to complete sensational doubles. One month later, they were topping the podium again in Gyor, Hungary as they retained their world titles in the long distance. 

Pimenta is back with a bang 

After a frustrating season in 2024 where he missed out on an Olympic medal in Canoe Sprint and did not seal an individual world title in Canoe Marathon, Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta was determined to come back fighting. With the home fans behind him in Ponte de Lima, Pimenta produced a brilliant performance to capture the European title  in the men’s short distance. He then backed this up by reclaiming the world crown as he got the better of Pedersen in a gripping men’s short distance final in Gyor. 

Ramalho is aging like a fine wine 

As well as achieving individual success, Pimenta also experienced joy in the kayak double thanks to his great friend Jose Ramalho. At 43, you might think Ramalho’s best days in international racing were behind him but just like a Port wine from his home country he is getting better with age. Ramalho and Pimenta became European champions in Ponte de Lima before winning a fourth successive world title after overcoming their Danish and Hungarian rivals. Ramalho also picked up two individual bronze medals at The World Games and finished third at both the European Championships and World Championships in the short race. 

Csorba and Csikos are bright sparks for Hungary 

With the World Championships returning to Gyor for the first time in 10 years, excitement and anticipation were high in Hungary. There was plenty of pressure on the home paddlers but they delivered, winning 11 senior medals. Among those were three golds as Zsofia Csorba, Zsofa Csikos and Giada Bragato emerged victorious on home waters. Ukraine’s Liudmyla Babak has been the dominant force in a canoe but she was unable to stop the Hungarian charge as Csorba won the short race and Bragato swept to the long distance title. Csikos was also impressive as she defeated defending champion Andersson and the great Vanda Kiszli to secure the women’s K1 short distance gold. 

From development camp to world medal 

History was made in Gyor as Muhammadi Rajabov became the first paddler from Tajikistan to win a medal at a Canoe Marathon World Championships. Rajabov arrived in the Hungarian city as a participant in the ICF development camp and left as a world medallist. Rajabov was involved in a dramatic men’s junior C1 final. Hungary’s Abel Farago-Toth was on course for victory only to capsize just metres from the finish line. Czechia’s Martin Novacek pounced on Farago-Toth’s mistake to win gold, while Portugal’s Leonardo Barbosa and Rajabov also profited from the blunder, winning silver and bronze respectively.