How is the 5000 metres different from the sprint races?
A · Advanced · The competition · 2 of 4There are no lanes. All the boats start together, race in a pack and go round turning points. A crew that capsizes may climb back in and broken kit may be replaced. Causing a collision costs 10 seconds or disqualification. Boats that are lapped are stopped at the line.
How it works
- The start: all boats start simultaneously, with no heats.
- No lanes: athletes "may deviate from their lane, providing they do not impede other athletes".
- Turns: passed to port, that is anticlockwise, unless told otherwise. Touching a turning buoy is not penalised.
- Inside a buoy: a boat that passes inside a turning point buoy is disqualified.
- Overtaking: the overtaking boat must keep clear. In a group every boat must avoid collision.
- A collision: when an athlete, boat or paddle touches another's boat or paddle "in a way that disadvantages the athlete".
- Its price: 10 seconds if others suffered a minor disadvantage, disqualification if it was major. Time penalties from the chief official cannot be appealed.
- Capsize: the crew is out only if it cannot get back into the boat without assistance.
- Broken kit: athletes "can receive help safely to fix the equipment or to get a replacement".
- Lapped boats: they end their race the next time they cross the finish line. Their rank is recorded with no time.
- Portages: where there is one, athletes get out, carry the boat and get back in at the marked places, with no help.
The glossary has sprint racing, the portage and marathon canoeing.
Tricky cases
Is wash riding allowed in the 5000 metres?
Yes, between boats in the race. The rules bar taking pace from boats that are not in the race, and bar lapped boats from riding boats that pass them.
A boat clips a turning buoy. Is it penalised?
No. An athlete is not disqualified for touching a turning point buoy.
A trailing boat is squeezed inside a buoy by the boat ahead. Whose fault is it?
The trailing boat's. It is the trailing boat's responsibility to avoid being forced inside a turning buoy.
A lapped boat keeps racing after crossing the line. What happens?
It is disqualified, and a penalty fee of 50 euros is imposed.
Why the rule exists
Five kilometres in lanes would be a time trial. A pack race with turns adds tactics: where to sit, when to move and how to hold the inside line. The collision rule is the price of that freedom, graded by how much harm was done.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Races over 1000 metres | Everything on this page | SP 10.5 |
| Races up to 1000 metres | Lanes, no contact, capsize is a DNF | SP 10.3 |
| Narrow water | Starts at regular intervals may be used | SP 5.1.7 |
From the rule book
International Canoe Federation, Canoe Sprint Competition Rules 2025, Articles 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 8.3 and 10.5.1 to 10.5.6. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: ICF Canoe Sprint Competition Rules (PDF).