2026 ThruDark DW finish locations confirmed
The Devizes to Westminster Organisation Ltd is excited to announce that entries for the 2026 event will be opening soon, and we are now able to confirm finish locations for each of the race classes.
Following the successful trial with Thames Clippers and increased safety on the tideway, the Port of London Authority have confirmed that they are happy for the Senior Doubles to finish at Westminster for 2026. We understand this is a key feature of the race for participants and the committee is pleased to have proved our safety mitigations, meaning Westminster can continue to be the finish location for this class.
An alternative finish location for the Stages Race was also used for 2025 as competitors in those classes were not given permission to paddle below Putney Bridge and on to Westminster. Barn Elms was trialled as the finish for Stages Race classes and that too proved to be a success with the location generating a welcoming atmosphere as competitors completed their race. Feedback received since the event has demonstrated that the vast majority competitors in 2025 enjoyed being able to finish on the tideway and found Barn Elms to be a great finish location.
Since this year’s race the committee have been debating where the finish for the Stage Race should be. Based on feedback received this year, discussions with the PLA, and our assessment of whether the same mitigations can be applied to these classes we can announce that the Stages Race finish in 2026 will be at Barn Elms again, meaning all competitors in the race will have the opportunity to tackle all three bodies of water along the course – canal, river, and tideway. This decision does not mean that Stage Race paddlers will never return to Westminster, however the committee believes that Barn Elms is an excellent site to use as a finish for the Stages Race, while we continue investigating whether and how to make Westminster suitable for all classes long term.
DW Organisation chairman, Paul Fielden said: “The Directors are pleased to confirm that the Senior Doubles race in 2026 will finish at Westminster. The trial with Thames Clippers this year proved that the wash reduction mitigation plans worked effectively and conditions on the lower tideway were greatly improved for paddlers. The PLA have confirmed that with the same safety plans in place for 2026, we are good to go.”
“Following the successful trial of Barn Elms as a finish for the Stage Races, we will repeat this for all Classes in the 2026 race. We have discussed with the PLA the possibility of returning some, or maybe all, of the Stage Races to Westminster in the future but this will require additional mitigation plans and/or potential changes to the way we run the Classes which won't be in place for 2026, so instead we are focussing our effort to make finishing at Barn Elms an even better experience for the stage races.”
The 2026 ThruDark Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race will take place on April 3-6, 2026. More information including entry prices and timings will be released soon.