GLAGLA UK
GLAGLA UK — The UK winter SUP race and challenge
Winter conditions. Cold water. Mass on-water starts. The beach run. The Crossroads of Chaos. GLAGLA UK is not your normal SUP race course — it is designed to keep you in the action, whatever distance or fleet you choose.
GLAGLA UK 2027 — working towards Saturday 6 February 2027.
Register your interest to be first to hear when full event details and entries are released.
Why people do it
A reason to keep paddling all winter
Winter is when most boards go away. A date in February changes that: something real to train for, cold water to get used to, and a course that rewards the paddling you have actually done.
And it feels like a proper event — flags, waves, a start line, people cheering you up the beach — without needing to think of yourself as a racer to belong there.
Race it. Challenge it.
Same event, same course, different ambitions.
Some paddlers come to race it. Others come to take it on. Both go out on the same water, on the same day, against the same conditions.
Race it
Timed, ranked racing with podiums, wave starts and one official clock. If you want a winter result on the board, this is it.
Challenge it
Choose 7.5 km or 15 km and take on the full GLAGLA course without the clock or rankings — your distance, your challenge, no placing.
Previous-edition format. The 2027 details will follow here.
2027 working plan
Three ways to take on GLAGLA UK 2027
A new short-course Winter Challenge is being developed for 2027, planned at around 2km / one lap of the GLAGLA course, subject to final venue and course confirmation. It sits alongside the two established fleets, which each offer 7.5 km or 15 km, on the same day and the same water.
New for 2027 — in development
Short-course Winter Challenge
One lap of the course rather than the full distance, planned at around 2km as a working-plan distance subject to final venue and course confirmation. Completion-focused: not timed and not ranked. Intended for paddlers newer to winter events, corporate teams and first-time event paddlers.
Not a have-a-go race. You still need sound paddling competence and proper winter and event preparation before event day.
Established fleet
Challenge Fleet — 7.5 km or 15 km
The full GLAGLA experience without racing pressure: completion-focused, with no clock, no rankings and no placings. For competent paddlers who want the distance and the day, at 7.5 km or 15 km.
A longer day on the water than the short course, and not a beginner option.
Established fleet
Race Fleet — 7.5 km or 15 km
Timed, competitive, ranked and podium-focused, at 7.5 km or 15 km. For paddlers who want a winter result on the board.
Race experience or race intent, and the paddling to back it up.
Choose your GLAGLA
New to winter events
Short-course Winter Challenge — around 2km, one lap (working plan), no clock, no rankings.
Want the distance, not the race
Challenge Fleet at 7.5 km or 15 km — completion-focused, no clock, no rankings.
Here to race
Race Fleet at 7.5 km or 15 km — timed and ranked, with podiums.
No route is a stepping stone to another. Each one is a proper GLAGLA day.
Need to prepare? SHACADEMY can help you get event-ready.
Same event, same winter, same water. The short-course distance, laps, categories and timings remain working-plan details until the 2027 venue and course are finalised, and will be published here.
Corporate & charity challenge
Take it on as a team
A local business buys a small allocation of places for staff, directors or clients. The team trains and takes the event on together, and the paddlers raise sponsorship for the event charity.
A team entry works for mixed abilities: team members can choose the planned short course, the 7.5 km Challenge or Race Fleet, or the 15 km Challenge or Race Fleet, whichever suits each paddler, all on the same day and the same water.
We hope 2027 will support The Brigitte Trust, in memory of Matt Morris — subject to agreement with the Trust, so not a confirmed charity partnership yet.
New to paddling?
Never paddled before? That doesn't rule you out, but GLAGLA shouldn't be your first session. SHACADEMY can help individuals and teams prepare for GLAGLA UK with introductory sessions, event-specific coaching and winter paddling preparation at a suitable training venue.
The GLAGLA experience
The bits people remember
The Double Entendre
A section that reads one way from the shore and another once you are on it.
The Beach Run
Off the board, board in your hands, along the beach and back on.
The Crossroads of Chaos
Where fleets and distances meet on the same water — busy, sociable, memorable.
The Superlap
One chosen lap that bypassed the lagoon — never the final one. Tactics, not a shortcut.
2027 at a glance
- Working target: Saturday 6 February 2027.
- Full event details will be released before entries open.
- Working capacity up to 160 paddlers.
- Age 12 and over; under-18s need guardian involvement.
- Paid entries are not open yet.
- Full kit and clothing guidance is sent before the event.
Pedigree
Several editions in, and still growing
- Delivered across multiple winters.
- 145 registrations recorded in the 2026 event system — registrations, rather than a starter or finisher count.
- Co-founded by Scott “Skip” Innes and Craig Sawyer.
- Inspired by Team SHAC racing the French Gla Gla Race.
Prepare for it
Get ready with SHACADEMY
A proper introduction
New to SUP? Start with a coached session so event day isn't your first time on a board.
Winter training
Regular cold-water paddling in the clothing you own. Frequency beats intensity.
Event-specific work
Turns, wave starts, the beach run and paddling your chosen distance comfortably.
Partners
Partner with GLAGLA UK
We work with a small number of partners per edition — paddle and outdoor brands, local businesses near the venue, and media who genuinely cover the sport. Nothing is confirmed for 2027 yet.
Talk to us about partnering →
Thinking about it? Register your interest now.
Register your interest for 2027 →Common questions
Is GLAGLA UK only for racers?
No. The Challenge Fleet runs alongside the Race Fleet at 7.5 km or 15 km, completion-focused with no clock and no rankings, and it is a destination in its own right rather than a step towards racing. A shorter Winter Challenge is also being developed for 2027, planned at around one lap of the course, subject to final venue and course confirmation. Same event, same water, different ambitions.
Can I enter if I'm new to SUP?
Yes, as a goal to work towards — but GLAGLA shouldn't be your first session. Start with a proper introduction and build some winter paddling time before event day.
What kit will I need?
Full kit and clothing guidance is sent to entrants before the event, once the edition's format is settled.
Will board hire be available?
Board hire is planned for a limited number of entries. Pricing and details will be published when entries open.
Format details on this page describe previous editions. Winter paddling carries real risk, and this page is not a conditions assessment.