Canoe Marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics

The 1956 Olympic canoeing program was precisely the same as it had been in 1948 and 1952, with nine events, one for women (kayak singles 500 metres), and eight for men, four in kayak and four in Canadian canoes. Men contested four canoe marathon events, all over 10,000 metres in kayak singles and doubles, and Canadian singles and doubles. This was the last time that 10 km canoeing events would be on the Olympic Program.

The events were contested at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, Victoria, a town about 105 km west-north-west of Melbourne. Lake Wendouree also hosted the 1956 rowing events. The lake is an artificial one that was created in 1851 when the outlet stream from a swamp was dammed, creating a recreational lake that has been used ever since by the citizens of Ballarat for boating and swimming.