Gauteng Kayak Championships come to White River

The Lowveld Canoe Club hosted the Gauteng Marathon Championships at Longmere Dam near White River on June 6 and 7.

On Saturday, the 10km and 20km K1 races (singles), along with a guppy race for juniors took place, with Sunday being the K2 event (doubles).
Kayakers were treated to clear blue skies, verdant Lowveld scenery and even Ankole cattle grazing next to the course.

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Nicholas Notten from Peninsula Canoe Club in the Western Cape was the top finisher in the 20km K1 race, clocking 23:07. Notten was shortly followed by Luke Salmon and Bradley Boulle from Dabulamanzi Canoe Club at Emmarentia Dam. Both finished just one second after Notten.

Piers Cruickshanks (6th) was the first Lowvelder to cross the finish line and first in the age group 50 to 54. Kyle Hay, another Lowvelder, finished 23rd in the senior men’s race with a time of 41:00. Kyle’s mother, Alison Hay, one of the event’s organisers, won both the female race and the over-60 age category with a time of 44:00.

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Erichia Pretorius, also an organiser, crossed the finish line in 47:00, with fellow club member Colin Turner less than one second behind her.

The 10km K1 was won by South African sprints champion Esti Olivier in 50:07, with Ruoxi Hao finishing 17 seconds later. The 4km guppy race was won by Amile Mzolo from Soweto with a time of 26:00. Luke Trollip crossed a few seconds after to claim second place. Erichia’s daughter Elri finished the 4km race in 38:00.

The National South African Marathon Championships will be hosted at the Marina da Gama Peninsula Canoe Club in the Western Cape on July 3.