The FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon, which was started in 1951, remains one of the biggest races on the canoe racing calendar.
This year the incredible race was held from February 16 to 18, in Pietermaritzburg, and covered a distance of 120km, with more than 20km of portage (running with the canoe) over the three days, due to low water levels in the area.
The race got off to a reasonably smooth start for paddlers, thanks to the good water levels from recent rains, but gradually got tougher as competitors moved through the stages.
Several members of Germiston’s Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) made the trip to Pietermaritzburg to take on the difficult race, after months of preparation, which included parkruns and the annual VLC Night Race.
Some of the paddlers results:
- Richard Cele placed 24th in a time of nine hours and 54 minutes, in his 12th Dusi.
- Thomas Ngidi finished his 15th Dusi in 35th place, in a time of 10 hours and 20 minutes.
- Collen Gibbs placed 151st in a time of 13 hours and nine minutes.
- Uwe Schmidthaus completed his 25th Dusi in 15 hours and one minute, placing him 269th overall.
- Mark Handley finished in 292nd position in a time of 15 hours and 16 minutes.
- Michael Sears, from VLC, and his K2 partner Gareth Sears, placed 405th in a time of 16 hours and 34 minutes.
- K2 paddlers Brandon Head and Johan Nel finished in 435th position in a time of 16 hours and 51 minutes.
- Michael McGiddy and Andrew Ryan finished the Dusi 469th overall in a time of 17 hours and 17 minutes.
- Bobby Damalis and Jaco Esterhuyse finished the Dusi in 18 hours and 21 minutes, placing 528th overall. This was Esterhuyse’s first Dusi and he was guided by Damalis, who tackled the race for the 13th time.
- Rob Hamer and K2 partner Ryan Booysen finished the Dusi in 565th position, in a time of 19 hours and 30 minutes.
- K2 paddling partners George Wilson and Mike Forshaw finished the race in 19 hours and 57 minutes, putting them in 577th place overall.
The VLC paddlers were thrilled to have completed the gruelling race and were pleased with their final positions.
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