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The changing nature of Covid-19 restrictions meant that even events that were intended to go ahead could still be subject to last-minute change. It was difficult to keep up with those changes, so the emphasis was changed to concentrate on outlines of events that have occured in previous years and are likely to be repeated (with future dates where known). More 'one-off' events may be added here in future.

Shoreline Handicapped Surf Kayak Classic - April each year

On the Saturday, the Shoreline Handicapped Surf Kayak Classic is run.   You answer a few questions to establish your surf kayaking handicap and then compete in a fair way against everyone else.   There’s no knockout, so paddlers of all abilities will compete throughout the day.   This system also allows competitors to gain ranking points in the Short Boat Open category.

This event is a great way for paddlers of all abilities to fairly compete against each other.   It also includes a way for anyone competing in the Short Boat Open to gain ranking points and so the craft that you can paddle in this event include any Short Surf Kayak, any Freestyle kayak or any plastic river-running, general purpose or sit-on-top kayak.   But you can’t use either a Long Surf Kayak or a Performance Waveski as there will be categories for these craft on Sunday

This is followed on the Sunday by more traditional surf kayak contest formats with long and short board classes as well as categories for juniors, ladies, over 40's and surf skis.

Webpage:
      https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/black-rock-surf-kayak-festival/

Dates in 2026 were:   Saturday 25 April & Sunday 26 April

Bude Lifeboat Run - early June Wednesday each year

Times:
Junior 1-mile run starts from Bude Rugby Club.
    School year 3 & under from 6pm
    School year 4 & over from 6:30pm
Main 6-mile run starts from Bude Rugby Club at 7:15pm.

The Junior run takes the multi-use trail south, then goes over the river at the Peter Truscott bridge and returns to the Rugby Club via the canal towpath.

The main run takes the Bude multi-use trail all the way to Helebridge, then does a major loop over the hill at Whalesborough farm before returning along the whole towpath.

In 2026 this event is on Wednesday 10 June.



More information on this event is usually available on https://www.buderats.co.uk/budelifeboatrun/.

Shoreline Bude Junior Triathlon - early June Saturday each year

Location: Summerleaze Downs and Bude Sea Pool

The swim is in Summerleaze Sea Pool - an amazing 100m long open sea water pool - with different distances for various year groups.

The usual ban on cycling on the Downs is relaxed for this event, and the cycle consists of two laps round the grassy downs (approx 2 miles).   The run is just one lap.  

The date for 2026 is Saturday 6 June.

Webpage: https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/junior-triathlon/

Shoreline Triathlon - late June / early July Sunday each year

Location: starts Summerleaze beach, Bude

The event starts with a 500m open-water swim at high tide in the breakwater-protected Summerleaze Bay.

The cycle route is an 11 mile ride around Bude and then via the moderately hilly coast road to Widemouth Bay, returning to Bude along the less hilly A39 (there are foot down stops at the roundabout as you leave and return to Bude).

The final section is a 3 mile run, through Bude, then along the canal towpath to Rodds Bridge, returning via Lynstone Road, producing a grand finish along the Strand and then up the length of Summerleaze Car Park.

This is an ideal event for both regular triathletes as well as first timers and beginners. The event can be completed by individuals or as a relay team where each team member completes a single discipline.

The date for 2026 is Sunday 26 June.

Webpage: https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/shoreline-triathlon/

Bude Surf Life Saving Open water Swim - June or July each year

Location: meeting point at Bude Surf Life Saving Club at Crooklets Beach

This is an open sea swim along the North Cornish Coast.   This is not a swim for novices as conditions can be challenging.

Members of Bude SLSC will be providing expert safety cover, with all proceeds from this exciting challenge going to the Bude Surf Life Saving Club.

The aim is to swim a 2km course along the North Cornish Coast from Northcott Mouth back to Bude.   The swim is timetabled for high tide so if conditions are too severe for this very exposed stretch of coastline the swim will be switched to one of two other options, both of which will create a 2km open sea swim.

Registration/briefing will be at Bude Surf Life Saving Club, Crooklets Beach, Bude (EX23 8NE) at least an hour before the start of the race. There will then be a competitors' briefing and, half an hour before the race start, all competitors will walk across the cliff tops to Northcott Mouth itself.   This is a pleasant grassy cliff top walk which shouldn't take any longer than 20 minutes.

There is a minimum age of 16 years old on race day and all under 18's will need a named adult who will be swimming with them on the day.

The date for 2026 is Sunday 10 June.

Webpage: https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/bude-slsc-2km-swim/

TNT 'Talan's Notorious Trail' - June

The date is Saturday 27 June 2026

This is a 6/12/24 hour run for solos, pairs or teams, consisting of a 5 mile looped course, taking in a stunning scenic route looking out over Widemouth Bay, then taking the nature trail to the Weir and finally returning along Bude canal and back to the stunning views of the bay, where we are hoping you will catch a sunset or two!

Included in the entry will be camping from Friday night through to Monday morning (camping covers competitor + 1 adult and children under 16).   Based in the field next to the Bay View Inn it doesn’t get much better than that!


Age Limits - 20 years or older (in line with the Trail Running Association age limits)

Charity - All surplus money raised will be going to the Talan’s Trust, set up in memory of Talan Penny.   To raise awareness and fund research into childhood cancers, and over the coming years they wish to fund services that support the siblings and teenagers affected by teenage cancer.

Webpage: https://www.buderats.co.uk/talansnotorioustrail

Bude Lifeboat Day Canoe Polo Tournament - end August

The Andy Hambly Canoe Polo Tournament, organised by Bude Canoe Club, is run on the Bude Canal (near the Library) as part of the Bude Lifeboat Day on August Bank Holiday Monday each year.

Webpage: https://budecanoeclub.co.uk/

The 2026 date is Monday 31 August.

Awesome Foursome Quadrathlon - September or October each year

The 2026 date is Saturday 3 October.

Location: starts at the Lower Wharf beside the Bude canal

This is an extreme multi-sport race for individuals, pairs and relay teams to enter.   This is an established event in the British and European Quadrathlon calendar, regularly being a World Cup ranking event or the European Short Course Championships.

The race makes the very most of Bude's geography and features.

The 800m open water swim is a double loop within the shelter of Bude's breakwater.

The 30 km cycle ride includes some amazing coastal hills (including the 1 in 3 climb at Millook) before returning along the A39 from Wainhouse Corner.

The 10 km kayak leg is a double loop taking place on the tranquil Bude canal.

And the final 10 km run follows the canal towpath to Helebrige, then upwards over farmland onto the coastal path and back to Bude.

There is also a 'Sprint' option with shorter distances in each disipline.

Webpage:
    https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/the-awesome-foursome-quadrathlon/

Bude Pirate Run - September each year

Start time 10.30am   Starts and finishes on Maer Down, Crooklets Bude.   A Cornwall Multi Terrain Series race (the second in the series).
Piratical fancy dress is encouraged.

This is an 8ish mile run through coastal scenery with some hills! taking in Stowe Woods and Duckpool.   The race HQ is at Bude Surf Life Saving Club adjacent to Crooklets car park.

Age Limits - 17 years or older (in line with the Trail Running Association age limits).

For more information see https://www.buderats.co.uk/budepiraterun

The 2026 date is Sunday 20 September.

The Cornish Nutcracker - October

Time: first start: 10am
Location: starts Bude Life Saving Club at Crooklets beach

The date for 2026 is Sunday 11 October.   Check in from 8am.

Steep and sustained with gradients of up to 30% cycling are a challenge to any cyclist.
If you live in North Cornwall, this has always been the place to test yourself.

With the descents being so steep and narrow, a full-on time-trial would not have been safe.   The solution is to just time the uphill stages so creating a series of one-after-another Hill Climbs.

The route starts in Bude and follows the coastal road to Widemouth Bay and up to Widemouth Manor and on the summit corner turns onto the narrow coastal road through Wanson and onto Millook with its 30% gradients.

It continues to, and takes the steep road down to Crackington Haven.   Once past the Pubs and cafes at the bottom, it takes a right turn onto the steep climb towards High Cliff. This roller coaster road eventually reaches the Boscastle road and goes the long way down to the bottom there.

Turn round at Boscastle, and the return route comes back to Bude by just about the same route (the only exception being avoiding the High Cliff road on the way back to Crackington Haven).

The aim is to cycle the route continuously, with no deviations, only stopping for the time keepers when required and to be the fastest accumulated hill climber over the whole eight ascents

The timed ascents (with their vertical climb in metres)
            (on the way out)
    1.   Crescent car park to Upton Cross - 50m
    2.   Widemouth Bay to Widemouth Manor - 55m
    3.   Wansom Mouth to Penhalt Cliff car park - 100m
    4.   Millook South - 110m,
    5.   High Cliff - 250m in all
            (on the way back)
    6.   Boscastle to Beeny - 210m
    7.   Crackington North - 115m
    8.   Millook North - 100m.             Well done!

Webpage:
    https://www.shorelineactivities.co.uk/events/cornish-nutcracker/

Bude Valley Volunteers

A small group of volunteers assist the Cornwall Countryside Rangers and the Bude harbourmaster with maintenance tasks in the Bude Valley area.

This can involve occasional working parties on tasks such as clearing grass encroachment from paths, coppicing, pulling Japanese Balsam, work on the canal locks or stabilising the sand dunes by Marram Grass planting.

Events are advised via an email notification list.   However, where there is adequate advance notice, they may also be included here.

Interested in joining some of the working parties?   To be advised of events, times and meeting points, please join this list by clicking this link and giving your email address.

Your email address will only ever be used for notifying you about such events, and can be deleted at any time by leaving a 'remove' message using this same link (or by replying to one of the notification emails with a request to be removed from the list).

Note that this email list is also used to advise of cancellations to planned activities - some activities are weather or ground condition dependent, so cancellations do occur - better to be on the list than rely on details on this page.

Working parties so far in 2026 have included marram grass planting on Black Rock sand dunes at Widemouth Bay in February, work to 'tidy-up' the landing stage and inland lock areas at Helebridge in March, and work to remove vegetation from around the inland lock near Rodds Bridge in April.

Forthcoming working parties

Thursday 28th May   Bude harbour work
To carry out various tasks around Bude harbour as tasked by Bude Harbour Master.   Meet up at 10am at Bude harbour.   Stout footwear and old clothes are recommended.

Thursday 4th June   Bude canal lock gate maintenance
To carry out maintenance work around the hard-standing areas at the Rodd's Bridge lock.   The work will concentrate on the far side i.e. cross over the lock, to complete work started last month.   Meet up at 10am at Rodd's Bridge, but be aware that available parking is limited there.   Stout footwear and old clothes are recommended and weed removal tools would be useful.

Thursday 18th June   Bird hide refurbishment
To carry out refurbishment work on the Bude canal bird hide.   This work will likely involve sanding and re-staining inside the structure.   Meet up at 10am outside the Tourist Information Centre.   Stout footwear and old clothes are recommended.