2015 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships
The third World Championships in Győr made history once again — this time thanks to television coverage. The broadcast crew brought several spectacular action cameras to the event. A drone flew over the confluence of the Mosoni-Danube and the Rába rivers, a camera crane captured the athletes getting back into their boats after portages, and a flycam soared above the river — offering viewers a brand-new perspective on the beauty and excitement of marathon kayaking and canoeing. The atmosphere was once again electric with enthusiastic cheering, and for the first time ever, women’s canoeists competed for a world championship title.
2007 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships
Due to continuous rainfall, an unusual flood wave developed on the Danube — something not typical for this time of year. The water level rose by more than 3 meters. Everything the organizers had built over two weeks (grandstands, tents, etc.) had to be relocated twice within just 24 hours. Although the opening and closing ceremonies had to be canceled and the portages was removed from the race, the World Championships were still successfully held. It was the only World Championships in the history of the sport where the athletes stayed on the water the entire time and did not run with their boats. Among the winners from 1999, Anna Hemming and the duo of Edvin Csabai and Attila Györe once again stood on the top step of the podium.
1999 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships
At the time, there were no standard distances, so the competitors circled Radó Island and returned to the Golden Shore. Thousands came out each day to cheer on the Hungarian team—such an atmosphere had never been experienced at a marathon race before. The iconic finish tower—designed by Ras Studio and supported by Audi Hungaria—was built for this event and still stands proudly on the banks of the Mosoni-Danube as a symbol of kayaking and canoeing. This was also the first World Championships where boat holders were used at the start—a practice that became standard at major races for the next two decades.
