Springsite Tommy Booth finishes in top 100 at Dusi
Tommy Booth and Pieter Engelbrecht were the first Ekurhuleni Kayak (ERK) finishers as they landed in 80th K2 (double) place in the top 100 finishers.
A number of members of the ERK canoe club based at Homestead Dam in Benoni, successfully finished the FNB Dusi 2018 marathon and although the water levels were still low and there was quite a bit of getting stuck on rocks in certain sections increasing the portaging requirement (carrying boat and walking/running), everyone finished.
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“The race took place between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on February 15, 16 and 17, a distance of some 120km in extreme heat and humid, overcast conditions often which is common in the area at this time of the year,” says Jennie Dallas, spokesperson for the Gauteng Canoe Union.
“While the river is frequently in flood between December and March, the last few years of drought has had a huge impact on the river’s water levels, making it tougher than it has been before, although it was always known as the toughest endurance canoeing event in the world.”
Also read: Booth finishes second in 30km race
Dallas adds that the top East Rand finishers from Gauteng at the FNB Dusi were Tommy Booth from Springs and his partner Pieter Engelbrecht who were in the top 100 finishers.
“An envious position for such a tough and exhausting three-day event.”
The pair finished as 80th K2, in a time of 11 hours and three minutes over the three days.
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