CHRISTINE WEBSTER
PADDLERS from across Australia took part in the 32nd annual Riverland Paddling Marathon on the Murray River over the long weekend.
Approximately 120 participants in 61 crafts competed across six different events from Saturday to Monday.
Riverland Paddling Marathon director, Martin Finn, said the event brought about 500 visitors to the region, filling up caravan parks and other types of accommodation at Waikerie, Kingston-On-Murray and Barmera.
Six events featured in the marathon, which was hosted by the Marathon Canoe Club of SA, including the Murray 200, a 208km paddle from Martin Bend in Berri to Morgan.
A Murray 200 relay over the same distance was also held, enabling participants to share the distance with a team and car shuttles. The Murray 100 featured a 93km course and the Murray 50 was a 49km course.
A mini marathon, where participants could try the event by paddling 11km or 12km on any single day or multiple days, was also held. Meanwhile on Sunday, some competitors took part in a 26km single-day paddle from Devlins Pound to Waikerie.
The event ended on Monday at Morgan.
Mr Finn said participants included 22 Lane Cove River kayakers from north Sydney, plus paddlers from Queensland and South Australian clubs, including West Lakes, Holdfast Bay and Encounter Bay.
There was also one Victorian, Rod Clark, from Echuca, who managed to avoid being locked down by spending the past month in the Northern Territory.
Mr Finn said a wide variety of boats featured in the event, including a competition K4 timber boat, which was transported from Sydney by the Lane Cover River kayakers.
“That was a fantastic achievement, getting it over here and paddling it in our lovely Murray,” he said.
Other craft taking part were single and double-ocean racers, K1 kayaks, touring kayaks, Canadian boats and recreational long and short boats.
Mr Finn said the weather was perfect for paddling along the Murray.
“It wasn’t cold, it was quite warm out there (and) there was very little wind,” he said.
“From a paddler’s point of view, they love it because it stops the wind being in their faces.”