Race for Rivers

The Race for Rivers has highlighted the potential of community engagement in advancing our understanding of Britain’s blue and
green spaces.

By Jo Moseley author of Stand Up Paddleboarding in Great Britain @jomoseley

If you were on social media in the autumn of 2023, I am sure you would have seen the news about the incredible Race For Rivers, the world’s first paddleboarding relay to monitor England’s waterways. Covering 642km, the initiative was created by Lizzie Carr MBE, founder of Planet Patrol. Starting in Godalming on the River Wey in Surrey, it was the equivalent of 15 back-to-back marathons, with participants joining from far and wide to paddle from 2km to 20km. 

Armed with sampling kits to test water quality every 5km, over 100 paddlers gathered more than 420 readings across 28 days, which were recorded on the Planet Patrol app. Among the citizen scientists were SUPjunkie’s Sarah Thornely, SUPfm podcast host Simon Hutchinson, and author and presenter Louise Minchin, who featured Lizzie in her bestselling book ‘Fearless – Adventures with Extraordinary Women’. 

The results were a sobering reminder of the health of our rivers: 

• Evidence of sewage pollution was found in nearly every waterway tested 
• Almost half of the testing sites failed to meet nitrate standards and 
• Three-quarters of sites failed to meet phosphate standards. 

Dr Thomas Stanton from Loughborough University said, “The Race for Rivers has highlighted the potential of community engagement in advancing our understanding of Britain’s blue and
green spaces.”

the Year award for 2023, told me, “The people have spoken through their actions: now it is time for the government to respond with a more robust plan that includes frequent testing and transparent reporting to align with the severity of the situation.”

To learn more and how you can make a difference, follow Lizzie on Instagram @lizzie_outside and Planet Patrol @onplanetpatrol. You can also listen to Lizzie’s interview about Race for Rivers on @supfmpodcast.