The event was hosted by Ekurhuleni Kayak Club (ERK) in some windy, choppy, overcast and chilly conditions.
The South African Marathon Championships will take place on June 11 to 12 in the Western Cape this year.
Jenny Dallas, Gauteng Canoe Union (GCU) spokesperson, says the GCU Marathon championships provided trials which enabled the conveners to identify a team for future races.
“This leads to selection for the International Canoe Marathon events scheduled for later in the year,” she says.
Tommy, with a history in road running, including multiple Comrades finishes, made up good time on the portages; however, in the very highly competitive senior age category he was unable to make the top two positions required for selection to the team.
He finished the K1 22.5km race with six laps and five portages in 1:51, and took fifth place.
On Sunday Tommy partnered with Zonele Nzuza from Soweto to finish the race in 1:44.