The long paddle to the Berg River Marathon starts on February 1 when the West Coast Canoe Challenge kicks off the Western Cape river season – and paddlers have some exciting incentives to tempt them to an early start to their preparations in 2025.
The 12th annual Appliance World West Coast Canoe Challenge (WCCC) in Velddrif is an multi-race event at the traditional finish venue of the Berg River Marathon, with three different elements on February 1 catering for all levels of canoeists, as well as stand up paddlers (SUP). The main race is the 20km flatwater race on the Berg River estuary, while the supporting races are a 16km SUP race and a novice race with 5km or 10km options.
The race venue at the Riveira Hotel is where the Berg River Marathon will finish on July 5 following four strenuous stages starting 240km upstream in Paarl on July 2.
The WCCC is also the opening event of the new Berg River K1 Canoe Series, which incorporates four races taking in the bulk of the Berg River Marathon route, and culminating in the Berg River Marathon itself. The other events in the series are Paarl to Skootjie (May 17); Wellington to Hermon (May 31); Hermon to Gouda (also WP K1 Championship – June 7); Gouda to Bridgetown (June 21); and the Berg River Marathon (July 2-5).
The series will be offering a big incentive for entrants with Salt Kayaks donating a boat as a lucky draw for all entrants in the series who complete four days of racing. With a total of nine racing days in the series – five one-day races and the four-day Berg River Marathon – paddlers are able to earn two entries into the lucky draw to win the identical boat which was paddled to victory by Tom Lovemore in 2024.
Race organiser and one of the icons of the Berg, René Boehm, is looking forward to the 2025 season.
“I think we are heading into a bumper 2025 racing season,” said the veteran who has 40 Berg finishes to his name. “Tom Lovemore from Salt Kayaks, the 2024 Berg winner, has provided a great incentive of a top kevlar canoe for the series, and I think this six-race series will give paddlers a wonderful opportunity to prepare for #The Ultimate Canoe Race.
“Obviously we are hoping for the rains to come at the right time so we have good river conditions, but we cannot do much to influence that. However, we can make sure the organisation is slick for the events and give the paddlers the best experience with the conditions we are given, and I think the current committee is already well on the way to doing that.”
Entries for the WCCC are already open via the Canoeing South African entry portal, while the 2025 Berg River Canoe Marathon entries are due to open on February 7 with promises of a huge discount incentive for those committing to take part in the annual four-day classic on the first weekend entries are open.