Marathon King McGregor does it again!

Salt Rock paddler and current World Marathon Champion Hank McGregor reaffirmed his status as the best paddler in the country after he overcame icy Highveld weather and strong competition to claim his eighth South African marathon K1 title over the weekend at the South African Marathon Championships.

McGregor beat tough competitors Jasper Mocké and under-23 World Champion Andy Birkett in a tightly contested race at the Homestead dam in Johannesburg.

“It is tough racing at altitude for us coastal guys. You cannot just go out like a bull in a china shop , you need to conserve your energy and keep the heart-rate down so I am really happy with my performance this weekend,” said McGregor.

The win secured his spot on the South African team for the World Marathon Champs in Oklahoma City in September. “It was a really high quality field and so I knew that tactically I had to be on point and I think I managed to outsmart the others which gave me the edge. I felt really comfortable throughout the race and it was a case of everyone gunning for positions with World Champs places up for grabs.”

McGregor only recently returned from the gruelling Maui Jim Molokai Surfski Challenge in Hawaii and felt a bit underprepared for the marathon. However his focus is shifting to the Worlds which is just a few months away.

After winning the K1, McGregor paired up with surfski ace Mocké to win the K2 event. Grant and Brandon van der Walt came second.

Bridgitte Hartley claimed the women’s K1 title, while Brendon van der Walt took the under-23 category and Jenna Ward won the girls under-23 category. Louis Hattingh claimed the under 18 division.

An impressive 441 paddlers, which included a large field of veteran and masters age group paddlers, contested for places in the national team that precedes the marathon world championships every year.