The team, a canoe club, is based at Emmarentia Dam and participated in the treacherous race which took place in Mpumalanga.
According to Jennie Dallas, of GCU PR, the marathon is an A+ grade race which took place over two days and saw the likes of Middleton canoeing 30km each day in a hippo and crocodile-infested river.
“Middleton was one of the brave, experienced paddlers to take on the daunting challenge and treacherous rapids and managed to finish in a time of four hours and 47 minutes as the 2nd Master age category podium winner,” she said.
Dallas also added that the marathon traditionally begins at the Kwena Dam, not too far from Waterval Boven, and flows towards Nelspruit. Additionally, to avoid disturbing migratory hippos in the lower regions where they make their home, the paddlers do the same 30km stretch of river twice, completed over a two day period.
The 2014 winner was Siseko Ntondini who is a young black paddler from Albertskroon, the Home for Sowetan Canoe and Recreation Club members. He has been making a name for himself in the top podium positions of Gauteng and other interprovincial races for a few years now. The race took place between 25 and 26 October.
