One of the annual canoeing highlights gets underway Friday 6 October with a two-day, 82km event, 36th Fish River Canoe Marathon in the small Karoo town of Cradock.
The 2017 race will have some added spice as it also doubles as the South African K2 River Marathon Championships. This increased incentive will guarantee exciting racing at the sharp end of the field.
The first stage takes paddlers 45,8km from Grassridge Dam to Knutsford on Friday morning. Day Two starts below Knutsford Bridge to Cradock Sports Complex (36km).
Rhodes University Canoe Club members to look out for are Patrick Dillon and Sean Herd-Hoare who have completed five Dusis, nine Fishs and many other races between them. They are hoping for a top spot in the U23 competition. Jessica Shuttleworth will be taking part in her first Fish River Canoe Marathon in a K1.
Other Rhodes students include Gavin Shuter and Adam Klaas, Alice Ter Morshuizen and Sarah Jane Durr, the Hewitt brothers Dale and Grant, Richard Gardiner and Wesley Pons and Rory McNeill and Bradley Robinson.
The 2017 Fish river Canoe Marathon will for the first time incorporate a Paddling Herd as part of The Cows, the charity fundraising foundation that raises money for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation. There are at least 22 people signed up to race this year’s race for The Cows and they have currently raised over R70 000.
Some of the money raised will distributed to The Cows’ main benefactor, CHOC, as well as to the Cradock Cancer Care Centre.
