Great news!  Canoeing Ireland have been successful in securing funding from the Coca Cola Thank You Fund to roll out the Blueway 10K project in 2016.

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The Blueway 10K is an ambitious project specifically aimed at promoting an alternative fitness routine to the indoor gym workout while highlighting the incredible Blueway infrastructure that is being developed in Ireland.  The Blueway 10K will increase the awareness of paddlesports in Ireland as an opportunity to keep fit in some of Ireland’s most beautiful surroundings, our waterways.

Blueway 10K will develop a bespoke 12 week national training programme in partnership with Eoin Rheinisch (Three times Olympian), Neil Flemming (Junior World Champion, Senior National Champion, PhD in Sports Science) and Benny Cullen (Canoeing Ireland Training & Development Manager).  The training programme will start on the 30 May 2016 and take a holistic approach to paddler development built on a strong base of competencies, in skills, tactics, physical and mental fitness as well as lifestyle choices and water safety awareness.  Canoeing Ireland will develop a dedicated webpage for the programme with support materials, useful resources, advice and programme videos.

The Blueway 10K project is designed to engage with waterside communities across Ireland through Canoeing Ireland’s well-established network of Canoe Clubs, Scout Troops, Schools, Youth Services, Local Sports Partnership, Rural Recreation Officers, Outdoor Education Centres and Activity Providers.  Blueway 10K will use our existing network to recruit project partners across Ireland to roll out the Blueway 10K programme in their local community.  Partners will be supported through the web based resources and a dedicated Blueway 10K coordinator in Irish Sport HQ as well as a dedicated sports development officer in Canoeing Ireland.

At the end of the 12 week training programme, on Saturday the 20th of August 2016, Canoeing Ireland will co-ordinate Blueway 10K events around Ireland in locations such as Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Mayo, Longford and Leitrim.  All the events will be run on the same day so everyone can have a local event to attend.  Canoeing Ireland will team up with local activity providers or clubs in each location to manage and run the events on our behalf with Canoeing Ireland qualified instructors.  These events will be run on flat water and will be suitable and accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities.  The Blueway 10K events can be completed in any discipline of paddlesports including kayaking, open canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, sit on top kayaking and even rafting.

This is an incredible and ambitious project for Canoeing Ireland in 2016 which will help to increase awareness, participation and performance in Irish paddlesports.  If you, your club, your organisation or your business would like to get involved in the Blueway 10K programme in 2016 please email blueways@canoe.ie to register your interest and to get more information.

Irish Examiner article here