KWAZULU-NATAL, 23 MARCH 2016 – Defending champion Hank McGregor (Jeep Team) reinforced his status as South Africa’s greatest big water paddler after winning his 7^th STIHL Umkomaas Canoe Marathon title on Sunday, 20 March.

McGregor partnered with seasoned paddler but Umko first-timer, Jasper Mocke, to take on the 50^th edition of what’s considered the world’s roughest and wildest K1/K2 river canoe marathon.

The duo finished the 2-day race in a total time of 4h13m. Dave Hamilton-Brown and Wayne Jacobs finished 2^nd in 4h15m, with Murray Starr and Owen Gandar in 3^rd in 4h22m.

The Umkomaas Canoe Marathon is notorious for its unpredictability and boat-breaking rapids. Paddlers never know what they’re in for as there are no dams to govern the water releases. Through the Umkomaas Valley, near Richmond, KZN, the river flows fast and strong, providing superb excitement for white water rafters and massive challenges for fragile fibreglass K1 and K2 racing boats.

This year, little rain fall in the days leading up to the race meant paddlers were faced with a low 1.3m water level, requiring immense technical skill and concentration to navigate successfully through the ragged rocky river.

The race started on a more manageable section of the Umkomaas River, with paddlers racing 35km from Josephine’s Bridge to Riverside. McGregor and Mocke were the first boat through Number One rapid. They held onto the lead, finishing Day 1 in 2h11m, three minutes ahead of second-placed Hamilton-Brown/Jacobs team.

Day 2, 32km from Hella Hella to Josephine’s Bridge, was the toughest, presenting the real test of big rapids and leading to the most broken boats. The experienced McGregor and strong Mocke expertly navigated the low level river, with the duo finishing Day 2 in 2h01m, just one minute behind Hamilton-Brown/Jacobs who finished in 2h00m but the McGregor/Mocke team’s 3-minute lead on Day 1 saw them claim the overall title.

Said McGregor, “The Umko is the only race in the world where paddlers don’t sprint off the start line because they’re actually scared of what’s up ahead. Everyone is nervous on the course. I’m stoked to win my 7^th title with Jasper Mocke, who was paddling his first. It was an awesome fun day out!”

Remembering the first Umko

The first Umkomaas Canoe Marathon took place on 16 December 1966. Fifty years ago, it was a very different event, with 40 paddlers setting off on a three-day, 112-km adventure that started at Josephine’s Bridge and ended on the south coast where the river meets the Indian Ocean.

In those days, there were no seconds, sponsorship or spectators - just a solitary timekeeper driving a World War 2 Jeep backed up by a vintage short-base Land Rover and other vehicles carrying paddlers’ tents, dry clothes and food provisions. In these days, before life jackets and helmets were made compulsory, and before cell phones had been invented, single canoes were required to paddle in pairs for safety reasons. Most of the entries were singles with a few doubles.

The inaugural race was won by legendary KwaZulu-Natal paddler, Charles Mason.

TOP 10 RESULTS – 2016 STIHL UMKOMAAS CANOE MARATHON

1. Hank McGregor / Jasper Mocke - 4:13:11

2. Dave Hamilton-Brown / Wayne Jacobs - 4:15:24 – 1^st Sub-vet

3. Murray Starr / Owen Gandar - 4:22:01

4. Mark Perrow / Piers Cruickshanks - 4:22:44 – 1^st Vet

5. Don Wewege / Kevin Musgrave - 4:23:32

6. Lee Furby / Grant Van der Walt - 4:25:40

7. Emanuel Zaloumis / Hamish Lovemore - 4:27:56 – 1^st U18

8. Jacques Theron / Jen Theron - 4:28:04 – 1^st Mixed Double

9. Warren Valentine / Marc Germiquet - 4:30:16

10. Andrew Neal / Stuart Waterworth - 4:36:26

Other Jeep Team results

MTB

Jeep Team’s MTB athlete, Pierre Smith, teamed up with GD Kotzee to take on the 4-day MTB stage race, the 3-Mountains MTB Challenge near Clocolan in the Free State, which took place from 18 – 21^st March 2016. 

The duo won the 17km prologue and the 80km Stage 1, placed 2^nd in Stage 2 (75km) and then won the final 60km Stage 3 on Monday, 21 March, leading to their overall victory.

In the Western Cape, Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys completed his first Absa Cape Epic, racing with his Team Rwanda partner Nathan Byukuseng. After eight days of racing covering a total distance of 654km and 15 000m of accumulated climbing, the duo finished the race on Sunday, 20 March, in 18^th overall and 3^rd African team.

Said Redelinghuys, “It was an amazing journey ‪of #‎8DayOfCourage. Nathan and I took on one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world only meeting each other 2 days before the race and the outcome was mind-blowing! Third overall in Africa jersey and 18th on GC. Thanks to everyone involved. It was magical!”

Lifesaving

Over the weekend, Jeep Team’s surfski athlete, Barry Lewin, captained the KwaZulu-Natal team at the 2016 Lifesaving South Africa Surf Nationals, which took place in Port Elizabeth from 17 – 20 March.

The Lifesaving South Africa Surf Nationals is the most prestigious event on the Lifesaving South Africa calendar, drawing top lifesaving clubs from across South Africa to compete in the Masters, Interprovincial, Senior and Junior Divisions.

On Saturday, Lewin claimed 2^nd in the Ski Relay and 6^th in the Single Ski event. On Sunday, he then finished 2^nd in Double Surfski.

#JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes

For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email bronblun@gmail.com.