The second edition of The Eliminator took place on Saturday, 11 July, in Derby, United Kingdom, bringing its unique blend of strategy, endurance and high-pressure racing back to the SUP calendar.
Organised by Greg Wingo of Roam Projects and Cassie Salter of SUP Fitness: Wellbeing & Adventure and the creative forces behind endurance events including Last Paddler Standing and Race to the Castle x Race to the Jungle – The Eliminator is a format built around consistency, tactical decision-making and sustained performance under pressure.
Recognised as the world’s only dedicated team SUP race, The Eliminator challenges two-person teams to compete lap by lap, with the intensity increasing as the event progresses. The race format consists of 24 laps completed over 12 hours, with each lap covering 2.5 km. If weather conditions dictate, a shorter course can be introduced to ensure competitors remain within the 28-minute timed cut-off.
Returning champions, familiar faces and first-time competitors lined up across every category for what promised to be another memorable contest.
Female Teams
Returning to defend the female title were Lap Assassins, with Suzy and Emma back after claiming victory in the women’s category during the inaugural event.
Male Teams
The men’s field featured several returning contenders. Last year’s fan favourites Bored Silly, James Tuck and Rick Walker-Smith, returned for another attempt at the title, while Team Faff’s Chris McDonald and Dave Brown also lined up for their second Eliminator.
Making their Eliminator debut were Chris Collins and Simon Nash, adding fresh competition to an already strong field.
Mixed Teams
The mixed category saw the return of last year’s overall champion, Bruce Smith. After claiming the axe in Year One alongside Mark Salter, Bruce returned with a new teammate, Karen Greener, to contest the title.
Also making their Eliminator debut in the mixed category were Michael Frost and Leanne Williams, along with Tony Warrington and Lowrie Kemp.
New for 2026 – Solo Category
Making its debut in 2026 was the Solo category, adding a new dimension to The Eliminator. All three competitors had raced as part of teams in Year One before taking on the challenge alone. The inaugural solo field consisted of Kerry Ridgeway, Carl Dagnall and Andrew Guthrie.
Cassie Salter and Greg Wingo
“What a great year for the race! The move to Burton Sailing Club resulted in a perfect venue for this style of race. I heard nothing but positive comments about the event and setting. I can’t wait to see what year 3 has in store for the race!
Thank you to everyone who raced and volunteered. And to Blackfish Paddles for their support of this race and all the ROAM races!”
“The atmosphere throughout the event was everything we hoped for full of camaraderie, teamwork, encouragement, and true sportsmanship.
Across the field, we had returning Eliminators from Year One – some back with the same teammates, some forming new partnerships, and three brave paddlers taking on the brand-new Solo category.
We also welcomed a host of first-time Eliminators, and what a debut it was… with two of our newcomers going on to take the overal race win.
One of the standout stories of the day came from Team JRD Gang and their teammate Lowrie an 18-year-old from Nottingham competing in her very first ever race. Before The Eliminator, Lowrie had only completed four sessions on the water with her teammate Tony. What an introduction to racing, paddling alongside some of the most experienced and talented paddlers, race directors, and crew in the sport.
We couldn’t be prouder of what the whole field delivered. Every single paddler who took on the challenge showed determination, grit, and the spirit that makes The Eliminator so special.
As the day progressed, the heat built and the wind picked up, creating challenging conditions on the final section back towards land. Paddlers navigated cross chop, found different lines to make the most of the wind, and embraced plenty of cooling-off swims between laps to keep themselves going.
A huge thank you must go to Glyn Smith and the incredible team at Burton Sailing Club at Foremark Reservoir. From keeping everyone safe out on the water, to making sure everyone was fed, watered, and looked after throughout the day you were the most fantastic hosts. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue or a better team supporting The Eliminator. Thank you for welcoming us and helping create such a memorable event. Year Two has been unforgettable.”
Team Tango & Nash: Simon Nash & Chris Collins
Chris Collins & Simon Nash (Team Tango & Nash). Making their Eliminator debut, Chris Collins and Simon Nash delivered a winning performance to claim the overall title and take home the axe.
Chris Collins
“I absolutely loved the event. It was very well organised, with lots of helping hands. Cass and the team put on an excellent performance throughout the whole day, cheering on every paddler and creating such a great atmosphere.
This was my first ever race in this sort of format, and I will definitely be entering again. It not only tests your body, but also your brain, as you work out the tactics needed to give yourself the best chance of taking the win.
There seemed to be so many different challenges throughout the day. Had I chosen the right board? (Definitely not!) The conditions changed constantly – flat water in the morning, followed by heat, then the wind arrived with plenty of chop, testing every paddler’s skills.
Even choosing the right route back to the finish line became part of the challenge, making sure you weren’t stuck paddling on one side the whole way.
I made so many new friends in just one day. The banter was brilliant, and there was huge respect for everyone who got on the water and took on the challenge.
I hope this race and event is pushed hard when it comes to promotion, to help increase numbers and continue to showcase what a great format it is. The buzz at every lap start gets the nerves going and makes you want to do your teammate proud.
Every paddler who is interested in racing should try this at least once. I can guarantee they will be rewarded for the experience – and will be back the following year.”
Simon Nash
“It was a brilliantly organised event from start to finish, with a really friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The standard of racing was very high, and there were some fantastic paddlers out there, which made it even more enjoyable.
For me, events like this are as much about competing with myself as they are competing against everyone else. Pushing through the tough moments, finding my pace, and crossing the finish line gave me a real sense of achievement.
The endurance format was also a great opportunity to work on pacing, drafting, nutrition and race strategy. I’d encourage anyone who’s thinking about entering next year to give it a go.”
The Lap Assassins: Suzy Rigby & Emma Adams
Suzy Rigby & Emma Adams (Lap Assassins). The defending champions successfully retained their title, continuing their impressive run with another dominant performance.
Bruce ‘Ironsmith’ Smith & Karen Greener
Bruce ‘Ironsmith’ Smith & Karen Greener. Last year’s overall champion Bruce Smith returned alongside Karen Greener, taking the mixed category victory and finishing second overall.
“This year the race was at a new venue and I had a new team mate. It was such a good feeling to be teamed up with Karen in the mixed team category. After much deliberation on who would do the first lap Karen went out first. Although the winds picked up throughout the day it was great to see so many teams make the elimination stage.
With lots of tactics taking place with wild cards being used that switched up the line ups, it made no one quite knew who they were racing against until Greg sounded the horn. We eventually took the mixed team win and second place overall.
The atmosphere both on and off the water was amazing. Greg Wingo has an uncanny knack of creating unique races that work so well and teaming up with Cassie Salter to bring us the Eliminator is a masterstroke. We can’t wait to return next year.”
Bruce ‘Ironsmith’ Smith
The inaugural Solo category concluded after Lap 16, in line with the event format.
Solo Female Winner: Kerry Ridgeway
Solo Male Winner: Andrew Guthrie
In true Eliminator style, the competition didn’t end there. As part of the event’s unique twist, the Solo Female and Solo Male winners were paired together to form a new mixed team.
Kerry Ridgeway and Andrew Guthrie rejoined the main event at Lap 18, lining up alongside the remaining teams to battle through the closing stages of The Eliminator and take on the final challenge together.
Andrew Guthrie and Kerry Ridgeway
*Images courtesy of Cassie Salter
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