Local paddler takes top prize at the Vaal River Marathon

Dabulamanzi Canoe Club paddler, Clint Cook, finishes first at the annual Vaal River Marathon held recently.

This hotly anticipated race was sponsored and organised by the Emmarentia-based club.

Gauteng paddlers were left feeling very despondent in recent months as numerous river races had been cancelled in some instances due to rivers being too low or in other instances, rivers being flooded.

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Gauteng Canoe Unions, Jenny Dallas, said after positive discussions with Joburg Water, one gate at the dam was open days prior to the race to allow the water level on the river to be more manageable even with some exciting rapids. Making it so this two-day annual race, which had paddlers paddle 30kms per day in full river conditions, take place.

There are over 100 paddlers taking part in the event with some, less fit yet determined paddlers taking advantage of the one-day race opportunity. The first to finish and top paddler, Cook, completed the entire race in 04:32:00.

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“A few KwaZulu-Natal based paddlers were in second to fifth place, excellent top-class paddlers who train on the infamous Dusi river, who travelled to Gauteng to enjoy the opportunity as the race was declared a seeding position race for the Dusi river race which is scheduled to take place in February, so it provided excellent training of 30km per day on fast flow,” explained Dallas.

Alex Roberts was the next Emmarentia dam-based paddler to finish the race in 11th position in a time of 04:29:00 over the two days, while Michael-John Robb finished 12th in 04:49:00. Nick Warren crossed the finish line on day two after 05:07:00.

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Sarah Field was the first female finisher on the two-day event and a junior who attends Parktown High School for Girls, who finished the two-day race in 06:02:00, followed by her mother, a teacher at the school, Karen Field, in 06:26:00.

Caroline Henderson who returned from her stay in the UK to participate in the race, partnered with novice river paddler, Gabriela van Rooyen (in a double Kayak / K2) in thoroughly enjoying their seven hours on the full river over the weekend.

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