Salt Rock resident Hank McGregor narrowly missed his chance to claim the title at the N3TC Drakensberg Challenge Canoe Marathon on Sunday in Underberg.

In the closing stages of the race the triple Drak Challenge champion was overtaken by rising star, Howick resident Andy Birkett.

Racing on a low uMzimkulu River, Birkett and McGregor started the 23km final stage from Callaway Bridge to Hopewell Farm together after McGregor won the first stage on Saturday.
The pair went head to head throughout the final stage and were still locked together as they entered the Lower Gorge, just twenty minutes from the finish.
McGregor got stuck on some rocks at the bottom of the Mkhulu Rapid while Birkett took another line that he had researched and managed to get a 50 metre lead.
“For the next two kilometres I looked back over my shoulder at every corner and every rapid to see if Hank (McGregor) was chasing me. Only when I realised that he had given up the chase did I start thinking about the fact that I might win the title,” said Birkett.
“I am really stoked with the win because it helps me prove to myself that my paddling is improving, and that I can mix it up with Hank McGregor and the flatwater marathon paddlers,” said Birkett, who was the Under 23 World Marathon Championships winner last year in Copenhagen.
“It was a very tough race. We were not giving each other an easy time out there but that is what racing is all about,” said Birkett.
Defending champion Grant van der Walt took third place while Damon Stamp was in a class of his own as took a comfortable win in the junior boys ranks.
The women’s title went for a fourth time to Pietermarizburg’s Abby Adie, who got engaged on the weekend to her boyfriend Kyle Solms.
The field of 750 paddlers enjoyed the challenges of the low level river, in stark contrast to the flooded N3TC Drak Challenge raced last year.