PAARL – The 2026 Berg River Canoe Marathon from Paarl to Velddrif is shaping up to be a fascinating battle, and six-time race winner Robbie Herreveld shared some unique insight into the main protagonists this week.
Herreveld, the back-to-back winner from 1991 to 1996, rolled back the clock to finish runner up in 2024 to Tom Lovemore and then again last year when he ended second to Hank McGregor. Those two results give him a unique insight into the favourites, but he was not going to be drawn into predicting a winner in what he anticipates being “a tough race”.
“Both are phenomenal athletes,” said Herreveld on Tuesday morning. “I have no idea where anybody is in their training, but knowing their history they are both going to come pretty well-prepared.”
“Hank’s always got the benefit of experience but Tom’s won it before and you cannot write him off, and he’s extremely talented. With his general fitness, I’m pretty sure he’ll be coming pretty well-prepared.
“Tom has all the ability but I think if both of them are on form then I think that’s going to be a tough race.”
As always in a ultra-endurance event of this nature there can be no certainty with a multitude of variables waiting to cause chaos with “expert” predictions, but it seems four paddlers are in with a chance.
If the race was decided on pedigree, McGregor would romp home. However, the 48-year-old would be the first to admit he cannot claim to be the world beater he was when winning 11 World Marathon titles between 2003 and 2018.
Nevertheless, anybody who writes him off as “too old” needs only to look at his victory 12 months ago. McGregor was so dominant on his way to winning his 14th Berg that he was able to manipulate the action to try and secure second overall for Euro Steel team-mate Sisenko Ntondini, who eventually just ended third overall behind Herreveld.
If youth was the criteria to decide victory, then 22-year-old Maties student Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert would be the overwhelming favourite. He has enjoyed a perfect build up to the race with four wins in the four Berg Series races on the race course in June.
The engineering student overwhelmed his opposition while gaining crucial river knowledge under race conditions and will sit on the start line overflowing with confidence. However, he will face new questions in a long, five-hour or more stage and how he answers those will decide if he is a genuine contender.
Sitting in the sweet spot between youth and experience is 2024 champion Lovemore. At 28 years old with four finishes – three of which ended on the podium – he can claim stage victories over McGregor and was superb two years ago in dismantling all opposition.
As can be expected in a gruelling four-day, 240km race that is as much a battle against the conditions as it is against rivals, there are likely to be surprises, and one paddler who has stayed under the radar is Jeremy Maher from KZN. Second and third overall in 2023 and 2024, Herreveld rates the 24-year-old highly and tips him to be in contention.
Others who could be fighting for podium spots include Msawenkosi Mtolo, Anders Hart, Heinrich Schloms, Paul Marais and Divieano Pietersen, who have all recently finished in the top ten of the famous four-day race.
In contrast the women’s race does not seem to have the depth and Neriyah Dill, who like Glyn-Cuthbert won all four pre-Berg races, seems to be a clear favourite. Paddling just her third Berg, she has an impressive record of second and third in 2024 and 2025 respectively, and would love nothing better than to complete a full set of podium places in 2026.
It is tough to see her being challenged but the battle for the podium looks likely to include 2023 winner Christy Shrimpton, Natasha Bradford, Ansune Basson and Joanne Conradie.
The starting cannon fires at 9am on Wednesday in Paarl, when paddlers head to Zonquasdrift 62km downstream for the first overnight stop. From there, the 46km Day 2 takes competitors to Bridgetown, before the long 75km Queen Stage to Zoutkloof, and then the final 56km Day 4 to Velddrif.