There is one very exclusive club within SUP My Race, the 1000km club, and in August 2025, the third paddler joined the club.
Ultra-distance paddlers on SUP My Race
Very few paddlers post more than 400km in any month on SUP My Race. In 2022, there were 9 paddlers who paddled past 400km; there were 17 paddlers in 2023, 11 in 2024 and, to date, 10 paddlers have achieved that goal in 2025.
Paddling that distance is tough. And the further you paddle past 400, the tougher it gets. Within the SUP My Race family, only 3 paddlers have gone even further and reached 1000km in a month.
These are the three Kings of SUP My Race.
Thomas Schillig was the first paddler to pass 1000km in a month back in July 2022. After 13 months as the King of SUP My Race, he was replaced on the throne by Duncan Flussmensch Houlton, who raised the bar by 68km. And now, a year later, we have the third king, Andreas Lucky Siebel, who has pushed the limit even further with a staggering 1313,13km!
A brief history of Distance
SUP My Race is a Facebook group for Stand Up Paddlers where I set distance challenges each month, up to and past 300km. When I started keeping records for the group in January 2020 the individual distance record was set by Thorsten Jackobsson with 278km, Volker Ebermeyr raised this to 400 km a few months later, Andreas 'Lucky' Siebel was the first paddler to record over 500km before Volker raised the bar again to 600km in January 2021. Andreas pushed the record past 800km in April 2022 before Aristos Efthymiou then broke through 900km in September 2022. And I thought it would take a very long time for anyone to get close to Aristos' record, and I certainly did not think anyone would pass 1000km. I was wrong.
In this blog, I have the pleasure of chatting to three paddlers who have set the standard for ultra-distance paddling in SUP My Race: Thomas Shillig, Duncan Flussmensch Houlton and Andreas ‘Lucky’ Siebel, and I think it would be hard to find three more humble, yet astonishing paddlers.
Thomas, Duncan and Andreas, welcome to my blog and thank you for taking the time to talk to me. Let's start off with something simple: Who are you?
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| Thomas in his element, image @schaienfotografie |
Thomas: Hi Chris, thanks from all of us for talking to us. I am Thomas, a Stand Up Paddler for more than 10 years, working for the Swiss SUP producer Airboard. In the first years, I did some short SUP races on my Inflatable, but was never in for long races. My passion for long-distance paddling started back in 2020, when I realised during my training sessions that I'm not more tired after 6 hours paddling than after 3 hours.
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| Duncan, the second King of SUP My Race |
Duncan: Quite simply: I am the Flussmensch (Riverman), ex-skater of over 45 years and many injuries, SUP saved my life in more ways than one. Rivers are where I feel at home on the water, feeding my blue mind as often as possible.
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| Andreas, the new undisputed King of SUP My Race |
Andreas: I am Andreas from Cologne, a Stand Up Paddler since 2016 and most times paddling on lakes. I have never participated in races, but I love to challenge myself and set goals to keep on paddling.
The three of you have set your records on SUP My Race in different ways, Thomas with ultra-distance events, Duncan with your own personal challenge on the Rhine and now Andreas, who, I think, did all of his 1000 on the same lake!
Thomas was the first to pass 1000km, so we will start with you. Can you briefly take us through your epic month back in 2023
Thomas: In 2023, I paddled the Yukon River Quest for the 2nd time. Of course, because this was my second time at the race, it was a little bit more relaxed for me because I had much less work to prepare for it. I learned a lot from the first time.
For various reasons, they changed the race date to the beginning of July. In previous years, it was the end of June during the longest days and most daylight from the Midnight Sun; you might have seen the Midnight Sun documentary on YouTube.
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| Thomas' 2023 Yukon GPS |
When I was back from the Yukon, I already had way over 700km, ...and still some energy left. Therefore, I decided to surround my favourite Lake in Switzerland, "Lake Lucerne" again. It has several arms, and you paddle a maximum of 2 hours in one direction before you turn at the end of an arm and enjoy a completely new view in the other direction. After this 18-hour paddle, I probably had around 900km, and some people started to push me towards the 1000km. I think Duncan was one of them 😉
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| Thomas, heading to 1000km in 2023 |
And then Duncan, you paddled the length of the Rhine!
Duncan: Yes!
It was a dream of mine for 5 years now. 19 days of pure urban adventure, I enjoyed every second of every day. The terrain changes from beautiful Swiss canyons to paddling through amazing cities to flat plains and castle-filled valleys. Not to mention the Delta going into Holland with wind for days, where I paddled for 180 km on the right-hand side!
I really enjoyed meeting so many people on my journey who helped with cappuccino, food, and a place to stay. The days varied from just over 80 km to around 20 km. I took longer than I wanted to; I had a goal of 14 days in my head, but my old body was quite battered after the lock section with 28 portages and slow water.
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| A long day for Duncan on his urban adventure |
My goal was to reach the North Sea and paddle up the coast to Amsterdam, but in the end, 1000 km was enough.
And now, Andreas. One month and one lake. I have to ask… why!
Andreas: Yes, I know it sounds a bit crazy but I already knew if I want to paddle more than 1000km (my dream was 1111,11km when I started) in one month I need to spend as much time as possible on the water and therefore I chose my home lake "Fühlinger See" because it is only 20 minutes away from my home by car.
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| Andreas' longest day in 2025 |
That leads to the question: what drives the three of you to get on the water at the start of your epic adventures?
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| Thomas at the start of the Yukon race, image @schaienfotografie |
Thomas: It was the Yukon River and its race, the Yukon River Quest.
I am addicted to this River since I first went there in 2014. Two years later, I heard that SUP can take part in that race. - "Never ever would I rush through this wonderful nature in less than 72h"
In 2018, I was there again to make a documentary movie about the Stand Up Paddlers Bart and Alex. Then I changed my mind and decided to take part.
During my training, I realised that Ultra Long Distance Paddling is definitely my business.
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| Duncan in his happy place. |
Duncan: The feeling of adventure, leaving civilisation for a while and enjoying nature and the water with no distractions.
Andreas: Luckily, due to vacation and reducing overtime hours, I had a whole month off from work, therefore, I had enough time in August, my target was paddling as much as possible.
Getting to the start line is often seen as a challenge for anyone undertaking a challenge, but for you, the start is the beginning of days or weeks of continuous effort. I suspect that the challenges for your biggest adventures are different.
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
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| Thomas during the Yukon race, image @schaienfotografie |
Thomas: My challenge in participating in such an event is that the date is set. You have to start. No matter if it's rainy and windy and the big lake is bad for SUP, or if there is a very high water level.
Of course, there is also some safety measures from the organisation team, and they might shorten the race, as they did this year, but I have to be prepared for every condition, even from 5°C to 27°C. This makes logistics and preparations challenging.
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| Duncan at the start of his adventure. Image Constanze Schel |
Duncan: Definitely the portage section, one day was 11 portages at 35°, Physically the hardest day I've ever had and only 40k.
Andreas: Heat, Weed and in the last week of August it was very crowded because the German Paracanoe and Canoe championships take place at the lake (in total more than 800 participants regarding the canoe association).
After the initial burst of enthusiasm when you start, how do you keep motivated?
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| Thomas during the Yukon race, image @schaienfotografie |
Thomas: For such long races, I start without any goal. I just start paddling, knowing that the first leg is at least 24 hours. - Just paddle, don't think about hours left. I set some mini goals, like halfway have a special treat to eat, and think, “hey, halfway done", and split the next half into another half.
Also very important. Don't put the goal for such an event at too high level. If you start thinking “it's so crazy when I finish this" doubts may arise and you start thinking "It's too crazy, why am I doing this".
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| Duncan, fuelled by Cappuccino! |
Duncan: I do not have that problem as I am in my happy place, even after 19 days of paddling.
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| Andreas is a man of few images! |
Andreas: For me, it was motivating to think about my target, and when I thought about SUP My Race, then for sure I didn’t have problems keeping motivated. I knew that I had the distance record two times already and wanted it back!
At this time, I would like to thank you, Chris, for your amazing and incredible work with SUP My Race because this Group is so inspiring and motivating!
Thank you so much, Andreas. Very kind of you to say so.
Now, let us talk about equipment. Thomas and Duncan both paddle on inflatable SUPs, with Andreas telling me he was on his hardboard. Thomas’s is a very special craft, and Duncan is on a production board. Why inflatables? Wouldn’t it be easier on a hardboard?
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| Thomas with his very special Airboard. Image @schaienfotografie |
Thomas: I love to paddle around the world. Carrying a hardboard with every flight would be a hassle. Of course, I have good connections to get hardboards on many locations, but for such long expeditions, I like to use my board on which I trained, so I exactly know how to load it and how it reacts on my expeditions. - And sure, I'm working in an inflatable business, so I can't swap 😉
Duncan Transport, enough tie-downs, Durability while portaging, camping and rapids. Also, the speed difference between an Isup and a hardboard is a lot less on a fast-flowing river. I also sleep on my board most nights.
Things are a little less complicated for you, Andreas!
Andreas: Yes, correct for me the daily transport to my paddling home spot was no problem. You can’t compare my day trips with the adventures from Thomas or Duncan.
I am sure that you both have extensive kit lists for the gear you need to take. Do you ever pack a luxury that isn’t strictly necessary but that makes a big difference to you?
Thomas: Ehmm. yeah. That's interesting. I usually don't care about music, I love it quiet, really quiet... but on such long distances, 15 hours or even 30 hours, sometimes the music gives me a huge motivation, therefore I often bring a small boom box with me.
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| Duncan with his SUP tent |
Duncan: My Bajao tent, I can sleep on my board, even on the water, and I have enough space inside for all my luggage. It's a luxury that weighs more than a lightweight tent but pays back in comfort and flexibility.
Andreas: Due to my day trips, I haven’t had special gear, and my luxury was that I could stay and sleep at home every day 😀
Sticking with equipment, have you ever started a long paddle only to find you have forgotten something? And is there a bit of kit you wish you had that is not in your drybag, yet?
Thomas: I am too much organised to forget something 😉 - but on this year's Yukon River Quest I felt somehow over-organised and stopped double-checking everything. After 6 hours in the middle of nowhere, I just felt some doubts - did I really pack all the food I planned? Or is it in another bag ashore? That plays on the mind!
Duncan: I once left my paddle at the beginning of a 5 km portage! Luckily, I was saved by Edin, who fetched it for me on his E-scooter! I would love to have a power bank that charges all my electronics for 10 days.
I’m not sure that this applies to your August month Andreas so a slightly different version for you, did anything go wrong?
Andreas: No, thankfully, everything went well through the entire month.
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| Thomas! Image @schaienfotografie |
Your record-breaking months require a lot of dedication and planning; you cannot accidentally paddle 1000km in a month! Over the course of 30 days, you faced the challenges on the water and then uploading to SUP My Race within the time limits I set!
How did you feel when your month had ended and you had completed your challenges? Did you need to stay away from the water for a bit?
Thomas: After such a long paddle, I really need to stay away from my SUP... for at least 3 days 😂
No, seriously. Of course, I need a break, but I also have a very good recovery, and this helps me with my decisions to do such things again. - I'm not down for weeks. I realise soon that it was hard, but knowing that my body recovered well and there is no long-term issue with my body motivates me for the next expeditions.
Duncan: This was the first time ever that I said: “That’s enough”, voluntarily and with a big smile on my face.
I decided to do a 100km recovery paddle when I got home, but discovered that sometimes, the body says no, I didn’t paddle for six weeks.
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| Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam. Duncan's finish line |
And again, a slightly different question for you, Andreas, how are you feeling now after your epic month?
Andreas: I am feeling perfect, and I am looking forward to our vacation in Friesland. We will watch the SUP 11-City Tour, but we will also paddle a bit by ourselves on site.
Gentlemen, thank you so much for your time, here and on the water. The three of you inspire others to paddle a little further, and that is what SUP My Race is all about. Enjoy your next paddle adventures!
SUP My Race is a Facebook Group for Stand Up Paddleboarders around the world and is where you will find the longest running distance challenge group for SUP Paddlers anywhere on the internet. See you on the water!