The course for this weekend’s Hansa Powerade Drakensberg Challenge Canoe Marathon hangs in the balance, as big black clouds hold tantalizing promise of rain for the parched Umzimkulu River catchment area.
If the rain comes, it offers hopes of a race from the top gorge, a highly technical section top canoeists relish.
“The race depends on the rain, and at the moment the river’s slightly low. Unless there’s a storm, we won’t be racing from the top section, which is a pity,” said Abbey Miedema, of the marathon’s star attractions said yesterday.
Without the possibility of releasing water from higher-up dams to raise the river level, the K1 challenge organisers might be forced to stage the race in the lower stretches of the river, and paddlers will have to apply minds and muscle in pursuit of the finish line.
“The Drak’s purely a paddling race, there is no running at all,” said Miedema. “The second day of the Drak’s quite a long day, and when there is low water, it makes the day even longer, by a good three hours. Hopefully my endurance will kick in, and I’ll be able to maintain my paddling pace for most of the way.”
Having won the two previous annual K1 challenges, Miedema has set her mind on a rare third win. “Obviously I’d like to win the K1 again. That’s my goal.
“I’m hoping to rely on my Dusi fitness. Hopefully I can just pull through from having been fit for the Dusi. I’m just relying on that. I don’t think my form’s too bad.”
Knowledge of local conditions will place Laura Thompson as one of Miedema’s key competitors, racing and training partner Alexa Lombard having injured her shoulder in the Dusi Canoe Marathon last month.
“Laura has been in the Underberg, she spends a bit of time (on this river), she should be pretty good.”
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