23-24 August 2025
Athlete Ambassadors
Emma Russell (GBR)
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Emma Russell is part of the GB sprint team and has achieved multiple Top 10 finishes at the European and World Championships in K2 & K4 500m over the last 3 years.
With her international season finishing earlier this year, Emma is returning to her marathon roots for the remainder of the season to take on a section of this ultra event.
A former Junior Marathon European Champion, Emma is no stranger to marathon racing and she is looking forward to paddling on the Thames - which will be a nice change of scenery from the regatta lake in Nottingham!
Brynde Kreft (RSA)
South Africa surf life saving & surfski races. Brynde won her first SA Surf Lifesaving Nationals title and never looked back. Brynde honed her paddling skills doing the famous Millers Run downwind and Orka squad training sessions.
After moving to the UK for her PhD, Brynde expanded her paddling identity from surfski paddler to marathon and descent races.
5th at Cape Point Challenge in SA, 1st at Epic Bay & Fishguard Open in UK and 2nd at GB marathon champs.
Brynde is preparing for surfski worlds in Madeira and plans to use the Thames 200 as part of her training.
James Russell (GBR)
James Russell, current Men’s K1 500m, 1000m & marathon National Champion. This guy just loves to race, he can be found pounding the streets of Nottingham or smashing out the miles on the Trent most days of the week. He learnt his craft at Chelmsford Canoe club under the watchful eye of Keith Moule so he knows how to find the hurt and keep on pushing.
At the recent European Sprint championships, he placed 13th in 500m K2 (Trevor Thomson) & 4th in the 5km K1. James is looking to continue his form in the upcoming European & World Marathon championships. He is excited to use a racing section of the Thames200Ultra as a training exercise before these championships and we are looking forward to seeing the pace he sets!
He moved to the Nottingham training group in 2017 attending Loughborough Uni and he has been rising up the international marathon rankings ever since. Finishing in the Top 5 on the short course at both European & World Championships.
2024 marathon international opener, Amsterdam, Waterland marathon, he took the win against a full strength international competitive field. This year has also seen him transition into the sprint scene.
Jonathan White (GBR)
Jon White is a GB para athletes who races marathon, sprint & ocean racing. He shocked the UK paddling community when he completed the DW senior k2 race in 2012 having lost three limbs just two years before whilst serving the nation in Afghanistan.
He went on to complete it again in 2019 achieving a time of 26:28 mins with his good friend Lee Waters in the senior k2 race. He has since led the way in disabled athletes competing in Ocean racing.
He has achieved Bronze, Silver & Gold medals at the World Marathon Championships and Silver & Gold at the World Ocean Racing championships.
He is currently focusing on long term sprint goals, so the Thames 200 is going to be a real challenge for him!
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