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Key date shift for 2017 Breede Canoe Marathon

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Breede River Canoe Marathon (Kassie Karstens / Gameplan Media)
Breede River Canoe Marathon (Kassie Karstens / Gameplan Media)

Robertson - The organisers of the annual Breede River Canoe Marathon have shifted the dates of the 2017 race to the weekend after the ICF World Marathon Championships in Pietermaritzburg, hoping to lure some international stars to extend their stay in South Africa to take on the two day classic through the Cape winelands.

Normally on the first weekend in September, the 2017 edition of the 71km race will now be staged on the weekend of September 16/17.

Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg will be the venue for the much-anticipated ICF Canoe Marathon World Champs from September 7-10, the venue which is also the start of the Dusi Canoe Marathon in February each year.

This has piqued the interest in the colourful calendar of major multi-day South African river marathons among many international marathoners, some of whom are planning to head to the Western Cape after the conclusion of the World Champs to take on  the challenge of the famous Breede Marathon.

The race is skewed heavily in favour of K2s, or doubles, with the generally wide and flat nature of the Breede river lending itself to marathon racing in K2 and even K3 craft.

Local paddlers have shown a willingness to help international paddlers by assisting with river-ready K2 craft with overstern rudders best suited to racing the Breede, as the flatwater marathon K2 craft are all fitted with understern rudders.

Race organisers are optimistic that the forecast for late winter and spring rains will help ease the drought-ravaged region into paddler-friendly conditions come mid-September.

Entries for the event have already opened online at the race website, and normal entries can be lodged until midnight on Tuesday, September 5.

The first stage consists of 37km from outside Robertson to Riggton Farm near Bonnievale, which includes technical tests at the Goudmyn sliding weir and low level bridges and Secunda weir. The final stage is 33.5km to the Kam’bati Resort outside Swellendam.

Breede river Canoe Marathon 2017:

Stage 1: Saturday, September 16
Start: 10:00
Distance: 37km
Robertson (McGregor Bridge) to Bonnievale (Riggton River Farm)

Stage 2: Sunday, September 17
Start: 08:30
Distance: 33.5km
Bonnievale (Riggton River Farm) to Kam'bati River Resort

The finish will be at Kam'bati River Resort near Swellendam.

Prize giving will start before 14:00.

The 2017 Breede River Canoe Marathon takes place from Robertson to Swellendam on September 16 and 17.

More information can be found at www.breedemarathon.co.za

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