VLC paddlers show their stamina in tough race
Local paddlers did extremely well in the recent Vaal River Marathon.
The Johannesburg Canoe Club hosted the Vaal River Marathon which has been identified as the SA K3 River Championships last weekend.
The race covered a distance of 36km on the first day and 34km on the second day.
While the weather was particularly pleasant for a change, the Vaal River is still wide, relatively shallow and has a very sluggish flow making it a resistant river and hard work for the paddlers.
It serves as excellent training for endurance athletes and those preparing for the Dusi Canoe Marathon in February next year.
On the first day the race started at the Vaal Dam wall and finished in Three Rivers on the Klip River and on the second day the start venue was the beautiful Cote de Val/Pont de Val resort and the finish was at Smilin’ Thru near Parys.
Both resorts offered excellent hospitality and superb facilities to paddlers and supporters.
The race has about 10km of whitewater, rapids, wave trains and weirs as well as the infamous Visgat rapid at the Groenpunt Prison which leads into a long 26km flat hard water slog.
A number of members of the Germiston-based Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC) enjoyed the tough slog on the Vaal which builds paddlers’ stamina and endurance, making them stronger for longer races.
Paul Nel, Robert Kramer and Anthony Welsh broke their K3 on the Goosebay weir when the seams cracked, however, they nevertheless dragged themselves and their heavily leaking boat to the finish in a time of seven hours and three minutes, in full colour “Cow” regalia.
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The trio was dressed in support of raising awareness about children’s cancer and participated in the Hansa Fish River Marathon earlier this year in their regalia.
Richard Cele, a coach at VLC was the first K1 finisher (single canoe) in a time of five hours and six minutes.
Other VLC paddlers who finished the tough two-day race include Grant Conlon and Anton Nel in six hours and 13 minutes as the first master finishers; Constantinos Zacharopoulos and Timothy Baker as the first sub grand master finishers in six hours and 43 minutes and George Wilson and Renier Kruger in seven hours and 58 minutes (tired but triumphant).
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