In an uncanny twist, the narrative of both the men’s and women’s Dusi Canoe Marathons look to have been copied and pasted from the same mind. Both leaders have a buffer of about 20 minutes, while third-place on day one has fought back to be second, and everyone involved is dead keen on giving it a final push on Saturday morning.
Andy Birkett and Abby Solms are expected to be crowned as champions, but the stretch of water between Inanda and Blue Lagoon doesn’t take too kindly to expectations. Birkett himself said that he knows only too well of the perils that can come with trying to protect a lead on the final day.
“It is quite difficult to pace yourself when you are upfront, as there are no splits on the way. I convinced myself that Sbonelo was only two minutes behind, which was good motivation,” Birkett said of another, drama-free day
“I was paddling scared the whole day. That can sometimes lead to mistakes, when you stress too much. I did that a few years ago at Tombi and Hippo rapids, and I paid a price,” he reflected.
As long as he cuts the big mistakes out, Birkett will surely add a seventh title to his growing collection. Behind him, however, there is an almighty scrap in the brewing between Hank McGregor and Sbonelo Khwela.
McGregor, living up to his Tank moniker, reeled in an ailing Khwela on the dam, gobbling up what was once a five-minute deficit, to cross the day two finish line just ahead of his rival.
“I was so emotionally spent after going down the wrong lane on Nqomeni, so I had to go bush-whacking to get through,” he said, with typical self-deprecation.
But, if he thought he was spent, the man just ahead of him was in even worse shape, after missing the refill station with his seconds.
“I lost my bottle on one of the portages, and then my seconds (support) were not where they were supposed to meet me. Maybe I was too fast for them,” he quipped.
The lack of hydration, on another steaming morning in the valley, was no joke though, and Khwela had to rely on good Samaritans handing him some water anda bit of Lemon Twist.
“Yoh, that Lemon Twist was a life saver! I needed that sugar, and I didn’t even know who the guy was. He really saved me.”
“When I got onto the dam, I was scared, looking back the whole way.”
He was right to be scared, as McGregor was on the charge. It took everything for Khwela to stay with him on the dam, and he knows that Burma Road will be his chance to get ahead again.
“I will try and kill the old man on the run up Burma,” he joked.
In the women’s race, Solms also had a near-flawless day, though there was a little scare on the Hippo rapid.
“I messed it up a little at Hippo, and went down backwards! Having this big lead is definitely comforting, but I didn’t expect it to be as much as 20 minutes,” she admitted.
The big mover in the women’s race was Bridgitte Hartley, who quickly caught up to Christie Mackenzie, and established herself in second.
“It was chalk and cheese from (day one to day two),” Hartley beamed.
With the main protagonists starting the final day a little later, in order to have a grandstand finish, they all know that they will face the brunt of the heat, coupled with the monster that is Burma Road.
There is also uncertainty about the water level for the final day, which is why nothing is guaranteed just yet.
“If there is no water, I have already sorted my route to Durban – on foot!,” Solms joked.
The motto for the final day, then, seems to be get to Blue Lagoon in one piece – by any means necessary!
Day 2 results:
Women 1.Abby Solms 06h: 54m. 57sec 2.Bridgitte Hartley 07:14.55 3.Christie Mackenzie (U18) 07:28.34
Men 1.Andy Birkett 05:46.00 2.Hank McGregor 06:06.07 3.Sbonelo Khwela 06:06.08