Gauteng is hosting a series of canoe marathon training races leading up to the Gauteng marathon championships, where the team to represent Gauteng at the South African Marathon Championships will be selected.
The first marathon event took place at Homestead Dam in Benoni on May 8, a K1 race (Kayak / 1 person, single kayak) and on May 15 the K2 (two man Kayak) marathon race at Florida Lake Canoe Club.
On May 22 the training race was at Emmarentia Dam and the final race where the selection of the team to represent Gauteng will take place will be at Germiston Lake, with K1 and K2 on May 28 and 29.
The Gauteng team will race against other South African paddlers in KwaZulu-Natal in June at the South African Interprovincial Marathon Championships.
The event covers all ages from u-8 through to Great Grand Masters, 65 and over, with varying distances for younger and older age groups.
The main event for seniors is in the region of 20and 21km, depending on the size of the lake.
Marathon canoe races include portages, meaning taking out of the water and running with a boat for a short distance, some 50m, and placing it back. Practising such manoeuvres is vital and also tricky.
Very young and very old participants are not required to portage.
The Johannesburg Canoe Club (JCC) youth in training at Wemmer Pan are currently training at Germiston Lake while the pan is cleaned of mining pollution, and participated in the events.
Albert Matruje finished as the third u-18 in a time of 1:51:03, with Thabo Selela close behind him, in 1:52 and young Jose Faria finished in 2:09:08, as the sixth u-18.
All paddlers, young and old enjoyed being back in racing mode and are enjoying the race training opportunities building up the team selection.
