No marathon in 2026 as the sport gears up for back-to-back World Championship campaigns in 2027 and 2028.
A season built for the long game
The New Zealand Jet Boat River Racing Association has confirmed that the 2026 season will run without a marathon event, instead shifting all attention to a season-long National Championship points format. The move follows detailed planning around New Zealand’s hosting duties for the UIM World Jet Boat Championships in both 2027 and 2028, two back-to-back campaigns that will demand considerable resources from organisers, volunteers, and competitors.
The committee says stepping back from a marathon year ensures the sport arrives at 2027 in peak shape. World Marathon planning is already well underway, with further details due soon.
2026 NZJB River Racing Calendar
Here is the 2026 schedule, with full event details to be released closer to each race:
- 21st & 22nd March – Otago Race
- 30th & 31st May – Canterbury Race
- 26th & 27th September – Southland Race
- 18th to 21st November – Across NZ Race
Setting the scene
The most recent UIM World Championships were held in June 2025 in Canada, with racing across rivers in Alberta and British Columbia, including the Peace, Smoky, Wapiti, and Pine. Before that, the event rotated through the USA in 2024, New Zealand in 2023, the USA again in 2022, and Canada in 2019. Hosting responsibilities cycle across New Zealand, the USA, Canada, and Mexico, keeping the sport’s international calendar moving at pace.
Final leg: Kiwis battle to the end in UIM World Jet Boat Championships finale
Kiwi crews were standouts in the 2025 edition, and readers can revisit our full coverage of the finale here.
Looking ahead to 2026
With the new National Championship structure in place, racers can expect a packed calendar of sprint and river events that reward consistency as much as outright pace. The Association expects strong fields and tight battles, with the season acting as a vital build-up to the biggest stage of all, the World Championship years to come.
