The Dusi Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race held over three days between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. It is run along the Msunduzi and Mgeni Rivers over a total distance of . The race attracts between 1600 and 2000 paddlers each year, making it the biggest canoeing event on the African continent. It is organised by the Natal Canoe Club. The clubhouse is located on the banks of the Msunduzi River, at the exact start point of the race.

The Dusi Canoe Marathon is held over a period of three days, with each day having a defined beginning and end. The average finishing time for top teams is under nine hours.

The race begins at the Natal Canoe Club at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg. The first stage is and includes of portaging. The second stage to Inanda Dam includes the confluence of the Mgeni and Msundusi Rivers and an flatwater paddle across the dam. The third stage to Blue Lagoon in Durban is the shortest, , however it still contains a flatwater paddle across the lagoon. The finish of the race is at the Kingfisher Canoe Club.

Competitors may enter the K1, K2, White Water, Touring or Touring Canadian (open canoes paddled by one or two paddlers using single blade paddles) Classes. Touring class kayaks may have rudders and this class includes all K3s, K4s and plastic kayaks. SUPs form part of the Touring Class.

History The first recorded trip down the Dusi by boat was recorded in the Natal Witness in 1893. Two Pietermaritzburg men, Paul Marianni and William Foley, covered the distance in seven days, arriving at Blue Lagoon on 10 January 1893. It was not until 1951 that a race along the river would formally be held between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The first ever Dusi Canoe Marathon was organised by Ian Player and began on 22 December 1951. The race was held with a non-stop format and no time limit. Of the eight paddlers that entered the race: Ian Player, Miles Brokensha, Ernie Pearce, John Naude, Basil Halford, Willie Potgieter, Fred Schmidt and Denis Vorster only Player finished the race in a time of 6 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. The canoes used in the first race were made from wood and canvas and weighed . The paddlers also had to carry all the supplies they needed in order to complete the race.

The first three-day race was held in 1956 with changes being made to the format over fears for paddler safety when paddling at night.

The Dusi Canoe Marathon was started by Ian Player in the early 1950s and this book tells the story of how it all began. The first edition of Men, Rivers and Canoes was published in 1964, and reissued in 2007 in South Africa

Previous Winners

MenYearClassOverallTimeR1952K1I PLAYER152:15:001953K1'SI PLAYERF SCHMIDT86:00:001954K1'sI PLAYERF SCHMIDT36:41:00*1955K1'sE PEARCER TEMPLETON27:28:00*1956K1'sE PEARCER TEMPLETON19:44:30*1957K1'sE PEARCER TEMPLETON14:55:00*1958K2R GOULDIED ANTROBUS17:20:201959K1'sH FISHERG ROWE12:32:14*1960K1'sG ROWEH FISHER15:45:171961K1'sG ROWEH FISHER12:18:00*1962K2D ANTROBUSP GLADWIN11:24:36*1963K1'sG ROWEH FISHER11:30:19*1964K1'sH FISHERG ROWE11:10:05* 1965K2D COBBLEDICKC MASON13:33:471966K2J POTGIETERC CRAWLEY13:20:001967K2C MASONK RODGERS10:30:35*1968K2J POTGIETERC HOUGH10:02:32*1969K2W VAN RIETR VAN RIET15:36:031970K2W VAN RIETR VAN RIET11:11:261971K2W VAN RIETR VAN RIET11:06:081972K2E CLARKEG Pope-Ellis09:28:48*1973K2E CLARKEG Pope-Ellis10:56:031974K2G Pope-EllisE CLARKE10:55:301975K2G Pope-EllisP PEACOCK10:12:251976K2G Pope-EllisP PEACOCK08:23:12*1977K2G Pope-EllisP PEACOCK09:15:001978K2G Pope-EllisP PEACOCK08:33:591979K2T BIGGSR STEWART08:43:161980K2G Pope-EllisP PEACOCK09:05:071981K1G Pope-Ellis09:47:191982K2D BIGGST BIGGS08:43:221983K2G Pope-EllisTJ CORNISH09:32:391984K1G Pope-Ellis09:56:441985K1J EDMONDS10:26:381986K2G Pope-EllisTJ CORNISH08:18:02*1987K1G Pope-Ellis08:48:23*1988K2G Pope-EllisTJ CORNISH08:07:08*1989K1J EDMONDS08:34:51*1990K2G Pope-EllisTJ CORNISH08:43:391991K1J EDMONDS08:17:54*1992K2N EVANSMark Perrow08:01:33*1993K1K WHITE09:40:071994K2J EDMONDSKJ WHITE08:47:091995K1K WHITE08:43:281996K2N EVANSMark Perrow08:15:331997K1Mark Perrow08:26:301998K2A STOTTKJ MURRAY08:03:091999K1M DREYER08:49:462000K2M DREYERMark Perrow07:56:35*2001K1L  JENKINS JNR08:09:09*2002K2M DREYERD  BRUSS07:44:56*2003K1M DREYER08:31:31*2004K2M DREYERA STOTT07:45:502005K1H MC GREGOR08:16:582006K2M DREYERH MCGREGOR07:40:25*2007K1A STOTT08:03:22*2008K2MJ DREYERM MBANJWA07:33:24*2009K1A STOTT08:38:542010K2AJ BIRKETTJA GRAHAM07:42:042011K1AJ BIRKETT08:06:082012K2AJ BIRKETTJA GRAHAM07:43:022013K1L KIME08:00:29*2014K2AJ BIRKETTS ZONDI07:43:502015K1AJ BIRKETT07:55:35*2016K2AJ BIRKETTL KIME07:52:092017K1AJ BIRKETT08:32:552018K2AJ BIRKETTH MCGREGOR08:12:222019K1AJ BIRKETT08:09:48 WomanYearClassOverallTimeR1986K2M LOEWENSTEINJ BENTEL12:03:08*1987K1M LOEWENSTEIN11:51:50*1988K2M LOEWENSTEINJ BENTEL12:32:031989K1M LOEWENSTEIN11:46:38*1990K2M LOEWENSTEINJ BENTEL12:20:311991K1M LOEWENSTEIN10:34:44*1992K2M LOEWENSTEINJ BENTEL10:27:07*1993K1M LOEWENSTEIN12:25:401994K2N RENNIEW  WHITE11:27:311995K1A MANFRONI11:47:201996K2D  GERMIQUETW WHITE10:02:13*1997K1W WHITE10:32:49*1998K2D GERMIQUETW WHITE09:52:11*1999K1D GERMIQUET10:44:422000K2D GERMIQUETW WHITE09:42:05*2001K1A MANFRONI10:18:09*2002K2J WALDERA MANFRONI09:31:06*2003K1A MIEDEMA10:12:06*2004K2A LOMBARDD KAMSTRA09:27:52*2005K1A MIEDEMA09:36:02*2006K2A MIEDEMAA LOMBARD09:02:12*2007K1A MIEDEMA09:25:36*2008K2A MIEDEMAA LOMBARD08:46:03*2009K1A MIEDEMA10:18:512010K2A MIEDEMAR KIME08:56:042011K1R KIME09:37:332012K2A ULANSKYR KIME08:41:59*2013K1R KIME09:07:16*2014K2A ULANSKYR KIME08:51:192015K1L O DONOGHUE09:40:212016K2A SOLMSA ADAMOVA09:09:192017K1A SOLMS10:16:032018K2J PEEKC PEEK09:45:232019K1C MACKENZIE10:00:11 Junior BoysYearClassOverallTimeR1961K TRUNDELLJ MASSEY17:33:49*19621963196419651966D HAYTERR COLLINSON19:36:201967M VAN WIERINGENJ KEARNEY12:41:01*19681969R RUDGER TODD21:40:391970D CULVERWELLB BERRIMAN14:17:44*1971M TOCKNELLH SANDBERG13:15:39*1972A ALBERTYN12:42:031973R PENNEFATHER15:35:391974C ST LEGERR WIMBUSH17:41:361975C ST LEGER14:14:121976J TAYLORA RENNIE11:29:38*1977G DIXONS DIXON13:27:461978L PARK09:59:22*1979C JAMIESONS DIXON10:25:58*19801981R STARR11:34:391982B YELLAND10:46:441983B YELLANDC HACKLAND11:01:341984G ROCKETT12:12:281985M ELLIS12:59:091986K2KJ WHITEGJ TARR09:57:16*1987K1A HACKLAND10:45:551988K2DH RAWC CARLYLE09:51:09*1989K1W VOLEK09:49:36*1990K2D REDMAND BRAUTESETH10:37:531991K1G REDMAN09:05:48*1992K2D BRUSSE NEL09:14:53*1993K1T MC LAREN11:45:311994K2S FISHERGJ BEHN09:48:281995K1A STOTT10:10:071996K2A STOTTJ CALLISTER09:07:09*1997K1B IRVINE09:12:141998K2S BRUSSS BIGGS09:13:561999K1L JENKINS JNR09:03:41*2000K2P TERREBLANCHEM  RASMUSSEN08:50:04*2001K1S RUBENSTEIN08:52:47*2002K2D WOODHEADJ BIGGS08:52:022003K1J BIGGS09:10:382004K2D CHAPLINM  WORRALL09:05:022005K1N STUBBS09:30:472006K2S BIRDC SCHOEMAN08:12:20*2007K1A BIRKETT09:10:112008K2B BIGGSA BIRKETT08:20:362009K1K MHLOPHE09:40:152010K2G SHUTERI KRUGER08:41:262011K1M HAW09:10:592012K2M HAWJ SPEED08:24:192013K1T WILSON08:43:36*2014K2D STAMPM CELE08:30:552015K1A HOUSTON08:53:292016K2M ZONDIM KEELING09:37:112017K1S LITTLE09:49:482018K2H MACKENZIED EVANS08:49:532019K1D EVANS08:35:54 Junior GirlsYearClassOverallTimeR1991K1L OLIVER18:45:22*1992K21993K1L OLIVER18:40:43*1994K2K OLIVERT OETTLE20:35:29*1995K1J BARRINGTON13:47:551996K2S JOYCEE OETTLE12:57:25*1997K1E OETTLE12:25:41*1998K21999K1C JOYCE12:27:372000K2L SYMONSJ COHEN11:08:35*2001K1NJ WOODS13:36:022002K2NJ MORPHEWK MARCH11:22:532003K1K MARCH11:58:18*2004K2K CORNISHC LANGENHOVEN11:32:382005K1K HOWE13:38:232006K2K HOWEV CHIAZZARI11:48:012007K1R KIME10:14:54*2008K2K JOHNSONL HENDRIE14:39:292009K1T HAW12:18:352010K2T HAWB PETERSEN10:11:49*2011K1B HAW11:07:592012K2B HAWJ PEEK09:48:27*2013K1B HAW09:49:07*2014K2C PENNEFATHERC PEEK10:36:472015K1C PEEK10:10:482016K2C PEEKK PURCHASE09:43:51*2017K1C MACKENZIE11:05:502018K2C MACKENZIEA PECKETT10:33:062019K1A PECKETT10:29:37 Source:

See also Sport in South Africa Msunduzi River Mgeni River Graeme Pope-Ellis

References

External links Canoeing South Africa Natal Canoe Club MyRiver River Information