Fish entries extended to midnight 1 September

Tuesday, 31 August 2010 07:57

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Organisers of the Hansa Powerade Fish River Canoe Marathon have been forced to extend their entry deadline to cater with the last minute rush in entries over the weekend.
With 1200 entries already processed and dozens more waiting the attention of the staff at the race headquarters in Cradock, the race committee has agreed to extend the cut-off for normal entries without a late entry penalty until midnight on Wednesday 1 September.

"Many people still opt to enter by fax, and that where the bottleneck tends to present itself," said race boss Louis Copeman. "Email and online entries have been pouring in, but in many cases there were manual faxes, and proof of payment documents that simply didn't get through before the entry deadline," he said.

Copeman confirmed that the entry level was considerably up on the last few years, and hoped that the final entry would challenge the 2006 record of 1818 entries.

The construction of a brand new pair of chutes down the large Collett's Weir has been partly responsible for the upsurge in interest. However Copeman added that the entry usually reflects a very successful event the previous year.

Copeman confirmed that the number of overseas paddlers that had entered had also increased, with ex-pat Kevin White spearheading a contingent of Australians to Cradock for the two-day race on 1 and 2 October.

Defending champions Hank McGregor and Grant van der Walt have confirmed their entry, while there is much speculation about the participation of the country's top sprinters, who have finished their 2010 competitive season.

Copeman also speculated about the effect that the proximity of the world marathon championships would have on the race, and in particular the contest for the overall race title. "A lot of the paddlers that will racing for South Africa at the worlds the weekend before the Hansa Powerade Fish will be flying straight home and then racing the Fish."

"It's not so much the problems associated with coming off a peak that is their challenge," he added. "It’s far more making sure they don't get sick on their way home."

The Hansa Powerade Fish river canoe marathon takes place in Cradock on 1 and 2 October. More information can be found at www.fishmarathon.org.za

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