How to Enter

The Hawkesbury Classic Paddle, the Wisemans Dash, the Sackville Sprint and The Classic Relays are fun paddles to raise funds for medical research. The major beneficiary is the Arrow Foundation.

Race Entry Fees are tabled below. Entries are to be made using the Paddle Australia Webscorer system. Please contact entries@canoeclassic.asn.au or 0412 862 410 with any questions.

We acknowledge the support of Paddle Australia and Paddle NSW.

Please read these carefully before entering:

The Event Rules
Additional conditions below covering insurance, mandatory sponsorship, refunds, landcrew and behaviour. There is important information for paddlers, landcrew and volunteers. Paddlers must observe the rules at all times when participating in any Hawkesbury Classic event.

Decisions you need to make before entering:

Decide what distance you will paddle (30, 60, or 100km)
Within the distance you select, decide whether you will paddle a:
- Competitive class (eligible for records)
  - decide which boat class you will be in ... see Craft Specifications and Competitive Classes under Event Rules
- or a Non-Competitive class (ie. you just want to have fun and finish).
  - These Non-Competitive classes are Brooklyn or Bust (BorB) for the 100km, Wisemans or Weep (WorW) for the 60km, and Sackville or Swim (SorS) for the 30km
  - Boat classes are not applicable for the Non-Competitive classes
Decide whether you will order the new Hawkesbury Classic T-Shirt ($25) towards the end of the entry process. See merchandise.

After you have entered:

Set up your fundraising page (refer to the instructions in the email you received moments after your entry was processed)
Get cracking on your Landcrew and have them enter their details on-line.

Race Entry Fees:

The tables reflect "adult" prices
Prices for 65 years and junior, will be $20 less across the board
Relay options: $30 less (but not applicable to Sackville Sprint)
.See below for mandatory insurance.

Mandatory Insurance

For event and paddler insurance purposes, all paddlers must either hold an active Paddle Australia (PA) membership or pay a Single Event Non-Member Fee ($24 for Adults/Seniors and $12 for Juniors). This will be automatically added during the registration process. These prices change to $26 for Adults/Seniors and $13 for Juniors on 1 July 2026.

Please note these additional conditions:

a) Sponsorships

As a condition of entry into this charity event, every paddler in the event must raise the minimum sponsorship donation, regardless of the distance entered:-

$200 - All Paddlers (except Juniors)
$100 - Juniors

We sincerely hope that your fund-raising efforts will go beyond this minimum.

Sponsorship information can be found here.

Sponsorships paid are charitable donations and may be claimed as tax deductions.

In the unlikely event the event is cancelled, sponsorship funds cannot be refunded as they are a tax deductible charitable donation.

b) Refund Policy

Entry fee refunds

Should a paddler elect to withdraw their entry before September 30th – a refund of the entry fee will be paid. Paddlers who withdraw are encouraged to change their entry fee into a tax-deductible donation.
Should a paddler elect to withdraw their entry after September 30th – No refund
Should the event be cancelled after September 30th, due to the application of a Public Health Order, or any other reason, the association MAY, at its discretion, make a partial refund of the entry fees.
Any fees collected on behalf of Paddle NSW and Paddle Australia (in particular insurance cover) are subject to those organisations' refund policies.
Refunds will be made for any changes to a shorter distance made before September 30th.

c) Land Crew Declaration

As a condition of participating in the Hawkesbury Classic across any distance, all paddlers are required to have a vehicle-based landcrew.

Landcrew leaders are required to make a declaration; this is available to be made on-line at:

Landcrew Declaration

d) PADDLE AUSTRALIA Sporting Behaviour

At this event, we are committed to safety, both on and off the water. Paddle Australia integrity and disciplinary policies, including the Member Protection Policy and Code of Behaviour Policy, apply to this event. These policies protect and bind everyone who attends (including paddlers, coaches, officials, supporters etc).

Please always be mindful of your responsibility to behave appropriately and respectfully; there is zero tolerance for abuse (physical and otherwise), bullying, harassment or any other harmful behaviour. Misconduct is taken very seriously and may result in disciplinary action.

If you have concerns or feel unsafe, please immediately report to officials (eg members of the organising committee). Incidents and concerns should also be logged via the new Paddle Australia online reporting portal. Paddle Australia’s National Integrity Manager is available Monday-Thursday to provide assistance (0426 363 302 / integrity@paddle.org.au).

Kent Heazlett

“The Classic is most definitely a combination of a physical challenge and a mental challenge.”

Courtney Hughes

“It tested me… but I’m a sucker for punishment!”

John Harmer

“Every Hawkesbury is an adventure.”