Canoeists took to water to battle it out at this year’s Non-Stop Dusi Canoe Marathon, recently.
Like the world famous three-day Dusi Marathon, the Non-Stop Dusi started in Pietermaritzburg and ended in Durban.
This annual event has a limit of no more than 150 paddlers, which includes K1 and K2 participants.
Richard Cele, coach and mentor at Victoria Lake Canoe Club (VLC), was among the paddlers who took on the gruelling challenge through the Valley of 1000 Hills, where he grew up.
Cele finished in the third K2 position, in a time of eight hours 45 minutes, with his partner, Mfaniseni Nyawose.
Having finished the infamous Dusi Canoe Marathon in a top 20 position, he is currently the top Gauteng river paddler.
Only a few canoeists take on the non-stop challenge, and this year only 73 boats in total finished the gruelling 120km event.
There were various portage sections of the river, where boats had to be taken out of the water and carried or dragged.
Only the strongest and fittest paddlers, with good river knowledge and strong running endurance skills, could possibly finish the event within the time period, starting in the dark with headlights.
The distance had to be finished before sunset, or competitors were removed from the race and withdrawn.
You may also be interested in:
