Paddlers from Mpumalanga and Gauteng took to the waters of Longmere Dam on August 16 and 17 when the Lowveld Canoe Club (LCC) hosted the Lowveld Marathon Weekend.

Canoeists from Johannesburg and Pretoria joined local talent in tough competition over several laps on 18km and 10km courses.

There was also a 4km race for the junior ‘guppy’ paddlers, which was won by Luke Trollip, who, to his credit, completed the loop on both Saturday and Sunday.

Paddlers competed in K1 (single) on Saturday and K2 (double) kayaks on Sunday.

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The Gauteng visitors were impressed by the magnificent Longmere Dam which serves as a perfect training facility, and were wowed by the birdlife which included being “cheered on” by the breeding fish eagles.

For many of the competitors, this weekend served as a final trial run before they leave for the World Masters Canoe Marathon Championships in Hungary on September 2 and 3.

Promising young paddler Luke Salmon held off Wayne Jacobs in a sprint finish on Saturday to take the K1 win. Michael-John Robb rounded off the podium for Dabulamanzi Canoe Club (Dabs) from Emmarentia Dam, Johannesburg, after a closely contested final portage between the next six paddlers in front of Pine Lake Inn.

Sunday’s K2 race was equally competitive, with a bunch of four paddlers in a closely fought battle until the very end.

Mike Stewart (known as the East Rand Bull) teamed up with local paddler Piers Cruickshanks to take the win ahead of the Joburg contingent.

Alison Hay should take credit for a fantastically well-organised race that sent paddlers home with handfuls of giveaways, Lowveld produce and, best of all, the famous Lowveld hospitality.

Category results
K1 18km
Subveteran male
• 1st: Michael-John Robb (Dabs) – 01:22:14
• 2nd: Robert Crichton (Dabs) – 01:22:42
Master male
• 1st: Matthew Ballenden (Dabs) – 01:25:56
U23 male
• 1st: Luke Salmon (Dabs) – 01:19:15
• 2nd: Sam Butcher (Tuks) – 01:22:48
Master male
• 1st: Piers Cruickshanks (LCC) – 01:22:40
K1 10km
Submaster female
• 1st: Salmarie Pretorius (Ekurhuleni Canoe Club; ERK) – 01:07:32
Subveteran female
• 1st: Lydia Marais (ERK) – 01:08:50
Grandmaster male
• 1st: Claude Graham (Dabs) – 01:03:40
Master male
• 1st: Derrick Mills (LCC) – 00:48:26
Veteran male
• 1st: Craig Metherwell (LCC) – 00:52:38
U12 male
• 1st: Luke Trollip (Dabs) – 00:35:01
K2 10km
Subveteran female
• 1st: Salmarie Pretorius, Lydia Marais (ERK) – 01:02:31
K2 18km
Grandmaster male
• 1st: Ronald Pronk, Stanley Freiman (Centurion/Dabs) – 01:29:31
Master male
• 1st: Anthony Baird, Derrick Mills (LCC) – 01:30:31
Subgrandmaster male
• 1st: Piers Cruickshanks, Michael Stewart (LCC/ERK) – 01:15:37
• 2nd: Theo Smit, Gustav Radloff (Centurion) – 01:19:30
Subveteran male
• 1st: Robert Crichton, Michael-John Robb (Dabs) – 01:15:37
Submaster male
• 1st: Richard Tandy, Wayne Jacobs (ERK/Dabs) – 01:15:39
Senior male
• 1st: Matthew Ballenden, Luke Salmon (Dabs) – 01:15:41
• 2nd: Craig Metherwell, Kyle Hay (LCC) – 01:31:38.