Thulani Mbanjwa. Photo: Anthony Grote/Gameplan Media
Pietermaritzburg – Less than a fortnight from The Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon, the final seeding race on the Dusi course has thrown the elite paddlers into disarray.
The weekend’s CMH Eric’s Canoe Shoppe Inanda dam to Durban race exploded the myth that the Burma Road portage was a prerequisite for success and title contender Len Jenkins had his confidence dented after destroying his canoe in the race.
Traditional logic has ruled that at average water levels, the notoriously tough Burma Road will make up as much as two minutes for a well-conditioned elite paddler. However, with the uMngeni running at a moderate 25 cumecs, that theory was consigned to the scrapheap as Grant van der Walt blitzed the paddle around Burma Road to win the race.
Despite not even being on the Dusi entry list, the under 23 world marathon champ won ahead of team-mate and training partner Hank McGregor, who will be looking to add to his solitary K1 Dusi win which he claimed back in 2005, with valley hero and fellow title hopeful Thulani Mbanjwa third.
The outcome has set the cat among the pigeons, particularly after word was leaked to the paddling fraternity that the final stage of the race will be staged on a 35 cumecs water release, which will clearly favour the paddlers going around and work against the stronger runners who have dominated at Burma Road, primarily Mbanjwa.
“It was interesting to see guys looking to go around Burma. If we get the water some guys are talking about then I definitely think it will change things quite a bit from what everyone has been used to,” said Mbanjwa.
The Unlimited Dusi starts on February 14.
