With the conclusion of the sprint season, as winter approaches, paddlers geared up for the finals of the marathon series hosted by clubs throughout Gauteng.
These races prepare paddlers for the Gauteng Canoeing Marathon Championships, where they select the teams to represent the province at the national which will take place in St Francis Bay from June 15 to 17.
The final GCU Marathon Championships race was on June 3 and 4 at the Ekurhuleni Racing Kayaking Club based at the Homestead Dam in Benoni.
It consisted of several races – short 2.5km races for U12 ‘guppies’, the 10km race for all ages, and the 21km long distance – both the 10km and 21 km included a portage.
The K1 (single/one-man kayak) race was on Saturday, while Sunday was the doubles race (K2).
Also read: Paddlers take to canoeing marathon in the Vaal Dam
Sprints are short, fast races of 200m, 500m and 1 000m with a longer distance of 5 000m. Marathons are long-distance, 10km or 21km, which include a ‘portage’, where paddlers are required to demonstrate their ability to take their boat out of the water and run/walk a short distance while carrying it and smoothly get back into the water without slipping in or dropping their boat.
Portage is an international requirement for marathon racing.
Springs resident Tommy Booth finished the K1 21km long-distance race on Saturday.
He finished second in the veteran age category and was the 18th K1 finisher in 1:55. He is a member of the ERK kayak club based at Homestead Dam, which hosted the event.
Booth doubled up with another ERK club member and race organiser, Richard Tandy, on Sunday to finish as the second veterans in 1:45. They were the 9th boat to cross the finish line, securing their selection to the Gauteng Team for the South African Championships.
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