THIS year’s Dusi Canoe Marathon competitors will have to factor in an important change to the final stage of the route as organisers confirmed that the Burma Road portage will not be available.
The decision to run over the Burma Road portage can be a tactical advantage to strong runners and it also cuts out a few of the bigger rapids along the 36km final stage from Inanda Dam to Blue Lagoon.
Dusi’s organising committee head, Shane le Breton, said the decision was made after he met with eThekwini Metro and SAPS management to address concerns regarding the safety of the paddlers.
“It became clear that the additional resources requested were not available, to the point that we could not guarantee the safety of every single paddler choosing to portage over Burma Road. We had no option but to remove the Burma Road portage as an option this year,” said Shane.
“It is a sad thing to have to do because Burma is indelibly etched in the history of the Dusi.”
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The race committee has made steps to ensure that participants who are used to the Burma Road portage will be able to adapt to the change.
“We will sign-post all of the major rapids on the paddle around Burma, That, coupled with the abundance of videos on the race website detailing these rapids, will ensure that every paddler is equipped with the information they need to safely enjoy the final stage into Blue Lagoon,” he said.
A new repair station will be set-up at the Burma Road take-out to fix any damaged craft.
The 2020 Dusi Canoe Marathon is held from 27 to 29 February.
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