Feedback from K2 SA Marathon Champs

SA MARATHONS K2 SUN 8 JUNE

It was still chilly and crisp early in the morning at Homestead Dam for the K2 SA Marathon Championships on Sunday 8 June although full winter sun and blue skies helped!

The Gautengers were once again hardput to achieve podium positions against such strong competition, attracted by sponsors – Ekurhuleni Council, Birchwood Hotel Group, Silvertron Transport, Bosch, and Adreach with shuttle transport provided by Jeep Constantia as well!

With former and current World Marathon Champions as well as Surfski World Champs Hank McGregor, Jasper Mocke, Grant and Brandon van der Walt, as well as multiple Dusi winners and Olympic medallist in the competition – Andy Birkett, Abbey Adie and Bridgitte Hartley along with some of the top strongest paddlers South Africa has to offer – it  was a tough standard for the locals to chase!

The results will be posted on GPKayak as usual in due course, however here is a brief summary of the top finishers summarizing the Gauteng podium positions or top finishers!

The top 5 K2 Men finishers included these names with Hank McGregor and Jasper Mocke first in 2 hours 9 minutes, followed by Grant and Brandon van der walt a mere 2 seconds later, and Andy Birkett with Greg Louw 3rd some 20 seconds later – an exciting close finish and close race!

Dave Hamilton-Brown (Dabs)  was the fastest Gautenger of the day finising in 1 hour 43 minutes partnered with Wayne Wilson to win the Veteran category, while Michael Stewart and Luke Symons (ERK/DABS) finished 3rd in 1:47, behind 2nd place winners from Natal, Marc Germiquet and Warren Valentine.

The first Gautenger in the seniors race finished in 6th position,  Brad Fisher (Dabs) with Thulani Mbanjwa in a time of  2hours 17 minutes, followed by Siseko Ntondini (SOW) in 2:20 with his Natal partner Banesti Nkhoesa.

The first Double Gauteng Combination brought in Etienne Rawlinson and Cornelis Human (DABS)  in 8th position, 2 hours 27 minutes while Eduan Dippenaar with Donald Moncho (FLO/ERK) were 30 seconds later in 9th and 10th finishers were Jarryd Breeds with Tommy Booth (ERK).

C1 paddlers Calvin Mokoto and Radoslaw Olszewski (ERK) finished their race in 2 hours 25 with no competition in their discipline and there were no Gauteng senior ladies racing!

The Boys Under 18 were also beaten  by out of towners for the first 3 podium positions, so the top Gauteng juniors finished 4th, in 1 hour 50 minutes bringing in Johan Ubbink and Siyabonga Tyiki (Cen/SOW) – no other Gauteng competitors took on the challenge!

In the Master Class ladies Anna Clifford Arwidi and Sarah Evans  (DABS) finished overall in 3rd place, in 1 hour 43 minutes, as the Gold Medal Veteran ladies,  a minute behind the winners Debbie Germiquet and Angela Scruby who were Veterans, and Minnie Kretzschmar (FLO) partnered with former colleague Carrol Evans now relocated to Natal as the only SGM partnership finishing their race in 2 hours 10 minutes.

The Sub Veteran at category was swamped with only Gauteng paddlers led by Serge van Hee and Shaun Maphanga (FLO) in 1 hour 47 minutes, while the next two boats from VIC and ERK finished in 1:58 – Gregory Smith with Grant Conlon and Richard Tandy with Clint Munro.

Sub Master Men winners were WP Rob hart and Brandon Collyer in 1 hour 43, with Gustav Smook and Gustav Radloff (LOW) in 2nd, 1 hour 47, and 3rd place podium went to Malcolm Stothard and Mike Barry (Dab/ERK) in 1:55.

The Master men were led by Colin Wilson and Colin Simpkins (Dabs/KZ) finishing in 1 hour 44 minutes, with Alaric Pagel and Jim Davies finishing 3rd in 2:00 – behind Paul Scruby and Bruce Pender Smith (KZ) who finished in 1:51.

Sub Grand master Men lost the gold podium medal position to KZN Bruce Wenke and LInton Hope, but Pierre van der Merwe and Theo Smith (CEN) managed to  clinch 2nd place Silver medals in 1 hour 30 minutes, almost 3  minutes behind the top finishers. No locals competed in the Grand Master Men,however Steve Jourdan and Alan Witherden (DABS) were 2nd Sub Great Master Men in 1 hour 45 with the winners being KZN’s Richard Venniker and Chris van den Berg (INT) in 1 hour 37 minutes!

The Great Grand Master Men’s winners were Len Jenkins Snr and Vincent Brttrick (KZ/ERK) in 1:33, with John Rowan and Mike Howard (ERK/JCC) 2nd in 1:46 and Tony Lightfoot with Paul Cooke (DABS) 3rd in 2:04!

Specialized Video Services provided the cost for  SuperSport TV Coverage and we look forward to watching the event on TV in due course!