Berg marathon postponed to August
“It became clear to us that there is a real passion driving the 60th anniversary of this great race, which has inspired us to do whatever it takes to make the race happen.”
Following the start of adjusted level four, the organisers of the Berg River Canoe Marathon postponed the event to August 5 to 8.
After consultation with Canoeing South Africa, race organisers felt strongly that the 60th edition of the four-day race from Paarl to Velddrif could not be cancelled and agreed to move it to August.
By moving the marathon to the Women’s Day weekend, the organisers have allowed for more than a month for the third wave to abate to enable them to stage the race, with strict protocols already planned for the event.
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“We have the biggest entry in for many years. We fully appreciate that everyone has made travel arrangements and booked accommodation for the race,” said race director Brandon Macleod.
“We trust that changes and postponements to these bookings can be easily made.
“It became clear to us that there is a real passion driving the 60th anniversary of this great race, which has inspired us to do whatever it takes to make the race happen.”
The race safety plan already had strict lockdown regulations compliance measures and participants in the event were divided into smaller batches starting further apart, with strict limits on access for technical support crews and no spectators.
“We fully endorse the Canoeing SA plan to place the safety and health of every single person as a top priority,” said Macleod.
“Right now, as the country deals with the third wave, we need paddlers to focus on their well-being.
“The success of the MyLife Dusi in March showed what can be achieved with a structured plan that is fully lockdown regulation-compliant.
“We are confident that our arrive-paddle-depart plan for Berg 2021 will keep each entrant and their support crew safe.”
Race organisers believe the move to early August will be welcomed in many quarters as paddlers note the water level in the Berg River has been more reliable later in winter in recent years.
“The date change gives paddlers an extra month to get in the training to enjoy the race and may well open the race up to more paddlers interested in getting involved in this milestone edition of the race,” said Macleod.
Visit www.berg.org.za for more information.
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