The sport is governed by the International Canoe Federation (ICF), which recognises four official distances and three boat classes in which athletes can compete.

[1] The Scottish traveller, John "Rob Roy" MacGregor, is widely recognised for popularising competitive canoeing during the late 19th century.

Against the backdrop of Victorian society's growing interest in outdoors activities such as camping and pleasure boating,[2] MacGregor's weekly accounts of his journey through the waterways of Europe became immensely popular.

[3] Upon his return to England he authored A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe, which would become popular and inspire others to try the sport.

[4] It was in the same year that Prince Edward VII became club Commodore, giving the sport even more attention.

[5] The new clubs promoted the organisation of regattas and contributed to the establishment of formal national bodies to define the rules of the sport.

Spearheading this decision was the president of the International Federation for Rowing Societies (FISA), who expressed concern that an influx of small crafts would compromise the freedom of rowers on lakes and waterways.

This trend has become much less noticeable at the ICF World Championships, with only one race category that men and women do not both compete in since 2021.

While the ICF has given no clear reason for this difference, it is likely due to the gap in speeds between men and women, and between kayaks and canoes.

This decision was made after the success of canoe marathon, where portages are an integral part of the discipline, in engaging viewers.

[11] This decision has been met with critique in some circles, as marathon paddlers suddenly gained a distinct advantage due to being more practiced at portaging.

Canoe sprint races take place on flatwater courses, including lakes, calm rivers, or artificial waterways.

[12] In Canada, a racing class exists for the C-15 or WC or "War Canoe", as well as a similarly designed C-4 (which is much shorter and more squat than an 'International' C-4).

For racing canoes, the blade is typically short and broad, with a 'power face' on one side that is either flat or scalloped out.

The shaft will typically be longer than a tripping canoe paddle, because the kneeling position puts the paddler higher above the surface of the water.

More recent designs of canoe racing paddles often have a slight bent shaft, commonly 12–14 degrees.