Preparing for the Duzi

Kensington resident, Franz Fischer and his fellow Gauteng paddlers, used the 34 kilometre Klip River race to prepare for the 65th Duzi Marathon recently.

Paddlers will race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in the middle of February.

Fischer and Mike Howard, from Kempton Park, were the oldest competitors during the Dusi training competition.

The race was organised by the Florida Lake Canoe Club, in Meyerton.

Jennie Dallas, from the Gauteng Canoe Union, said the race included a 2.5 kilometre section where the participants practised their portage training and carrying their boats along a dirt road next to the river.

“Howard partnered with Fischer, to finish the gruelling race in three hours and 45 minutes, as the only Great Grand master age category competitors in the race. The category is for competitors who are olver than 70.

Fischer is an active environmentalist and spends hours working to keep the rivers free of pollution, as well as fallen trees and debris traps,” said Dallas.

She added that the provincial training schedule is on course.

“The GCU is proud of its integration programs which have proved tremendously successful. The proof of the pudding is that the top seven paddlers were young athletes who dominated the race. They took the top three positions, the top U/23 podium position and also the top U/18 and U/16 junior podium positions as well,” she said.