Sponsored by Thames 200 Ultra

James Fletcher aka “that prone guy” is the type of person who looks at the craziest endurance challenges for stand up paddle boarders and thinks, “I can do that prone.” And then he does. Sometimes even faster than the SUPs. Last year, Fletcher prone paddled for twelve hours straight to achieve 80 km (50 miles) at the SUP Twelve race. In an inverse format to Florida’s Last Paddler Standing race, England’s SUP Twelve gives paddlers half a day to complete as many laps as they can. In twelve hours, James Fletcher paddled 80.5 km on his prone board: more distance than 20+ SUP racers – an impressive feat for a guy without a paddle! He turns up to so many major SUP and multicraft races as the only prone paddler that he’s earned the moniker of “that prone guy” from race commentator Sarah “Supjunkie” Thornely.

On 24th August, James Fletcher will set off from the head of the Thames River in a small town in England to prone paddle the entire 200 km length of the Thames in less than 30 hours. But the current record on a SUP stands at more than two days. Can Fletcher really smash that record by more than 20 hours? Prone??

The two day record is exactly what spurred James to sign up for the Thames 200 Ultra, the race that covers the length of the Thames. He saw the record set by David Haze in late 2021, and thought, “I wonder if prone’s possible.” While that question marinated in the back of his mind, James followed along as the Thames kayak record was broken in 2023 (20 hours and 28 minutes) and again in 2024 (15 hours and 44 minutes). When the Thames 200 Ultra race was announced earlier this year and James realized he could attempt the record under the banner of the race and even take advantage of the race’s checkpoint support, it felt like it was meant to be.

Not his first record

Breaking the SUP record by 20 hours on a prone board sounds even more impossible than paddling with your hands for 27 hours straight. But James is no stranger to setting records. He currently holds the record for fastest prone paddle of the length of Loch Ness in Scotland: 37 km in 4 hours 33 minutes (no, he didn’t see Nessie). He also twice attempted a record of the North Channel sea crossing from Northern Ireland to Scotland, the same record that Samantha Rutt holds for SUP: 5 hours 2 minutes.

In 2021, James had planned to cross from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 4 hours 30 minutes, but quickly found the conditions weren’t what he expected: “We took a gamble on a gap between two weather systems, and got it wrong.” The wind had turned to push him south, and while the tide was still pushing in the right direction, the effect of wind against tide created a washing machine effect. The tide was so strong that it added an extra 3 km to the 35 km paddle. The other unexpected side effect of paddling through a washing machine? Seasickness. Out in the middle of the ocean with just his hands and a board, James felt like everything that was supposed to be working in his favor had taken a 180 degree turn.

After more than seven hours of battling against the elements and his own body, James finally made it to shore. Although he didn’t take the record that day, he said: “I found out a lot about myself and my ability just to hang in there and stick at it when it all seemed against me.” Although Fletcher should face far more favorable conditions on the Thames River, that ability to stick it out will go a long way when it’s 2am, he’s been paddling for 14 hours, and there’s still four hours left before sunrise.

“I just don’t know physically how my body will cope with 200 km prone”

For all the endurance paddling he’s done, completing the length of the Thames will be Fletcher’s biggest challenge yet by miles (many miles). The twelve hours he paddled during SUP Twelve was a test: “that was the main idea for me was to see, was it possible.” He knew that if he was going to take on the 200 km Thames record, he had to see how long he could go on his belly and knees. Although the 44 portages of the Thames will offer ‘breaks’ in a sense, similar to getting off the water between laps at the SUP Twelve, James says his biggest concern is still the distance: “I just don’t know physically how my body will cope with 200 km prone.”

His other concern? Paddling continuously through the night. Originally, James had thought about attempting the record with a break overnight, similar to how he and his wife Kate finished the Great Glen route across Scotland in two days in 2020. When he learned about the Thames 200 Ultra and that racers would all be paddling straight through the night, he figured that would cut down on time significantly. But it will be James’ first overnight paddle. Kate, who’s accompanying James the whole way in a kayak, is well practiced – as a nurse, she’s used to the occasional night shift: “you feel drunk in the morning, and it’s horrible, but you just kind of get through it.” Kate has joined James for many races and long paddles, but when the couple had their daughter Lily a couple years ago, going on adventures together got a lot trickier. Part of the motivation for racing the length of the Thames together? It’s their perfect romantic date.

A race, a record, or a date night?

After their daughter arrived two and half years ago, Kate says, “We had Lily, and we haven’t been able to do an adventure together for a while.” They weren’t sure they would be able to pull off even just training for the Thames 200 Ultra. To fit in training, they’ve had to wake up at 4am and take turns between long sessions on the water and managing childcare. It was a huge test for them. But James and Kave have been able to manage it, and they’re ready to spend 27+ hours together enjoying each other’s company while racing down the Thames next weekend.

The Thames isn’t just the most famous river in the UK though – it represents memories of James and Kate’s respective childhoods, growing up, and growing together as a couple. James grew up on the edge of the Cotswolds, a region where rolling hills rise above the Upper Thames. Lechlade, the town where the race starts, is right near where he grew up. The race ends near Kingston Upon Thames, where Kate grew up. Kate has fond memories of doing Sea Scouts on the Thames while her brother was learning to sail. That brother, “the one who used to throw me in the river” Kate recalls, now lives in Oxford. Kate and James will paddle through Oxford during the day on Saturday, between Checkpoint 1 and Checkpoint 2 on the Thames 200 Ultra course. Reflecting on their deep connections to the Thames, James and Kate agree: “It’s our home river.”

Although the 200 km is incredibly daunting, and there’s no blueprint to anyone paddling the entire river prone, James is looking forward to it: “It’s gonna be pretty brutal, but gonna be good fun I think.”

To follow along as James attempts to set a world record (and enjoys a romantic adventure with Kate), and track the top contenders racing for the relay and straight-through crowns at the first ever Thames 200 Ultra, join us on the Paddle Daily Livestream. Paddle Daily is SUP Racer’s sister site that focuses on canoe/kayak. Both are run by Betsy Ray, who acquired SUP Racer from Chris Parker (retired) and is now running both brands under the umbrella of Paddler Media.

Getting excited to watch the race? Read more about the Thames 200 Ultra, the UK’s newest ultra paddling race, and the racers aiming to win the relay crown.