PADDLERS keen to be part of the 2021 MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon have not been deterred by the one month postponement of the iconic three-day event, showing confidence in the steps being put in place by the organisers to ensure full compliance with the Covid-19 lockdown laws that will be in place in mid-March.
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Entries for the race from 18 to 20 March are ahead of where they were at the same stage last year, and have continued to arrive at the race office after the restructuring of the national race calendar by Canoeing South Africa.
“The nature of the race itself lends itself to social distancing as no paddler is ever closer than two metres to another paddler,” said race committee head Shane le Breton. “What we are determined to do is make sure every other aspect of the race is equally compliant.”
Le Breton said that the race would not have any spectators, even at popular gathering places like the Ernie Pearce weir at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg, and that each paddler entered would be allowed a single support person to act as a driver and back-up.
“Access to the race will be strictly controlled through wristbands,” stressed Le Breton. “It will be a different Dusi without the spectators and supporters along the way, but during these times it has to be a safe Dusi.”
He pointed out that they had a myriad of different options under consideration, as the lockdown regulations are almost certain to change before the race in mid-March.
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“We will control access, reduce batch sizes and stagger them further apart, and every athlete will be expected to pack up and leave the finish of each stage as promptly as possible,” he said.
Le Breton added that the unusual circumstances of the 2021 race will see a number of changes that will keep the race in line with all Covid-19 protocols.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
