River Paddling
Marathon racing is the most popular discipline in South African canoeing, and a vibrant calendar of events takes advantage of the many excellent paddling rivers and flat-water courses across the country.
The domestic river season starts with the Berg River Marathon, a 4 day odyssey in the Cape winter from Paarl to Velddrif, followed by the Breede Marathon, Lowveld Croc, Fish, and Vaal marathons.
In the summer season the major races switch to KwaZulu-Natal for the DrakChallenge, 50 Miler and peaking at the Dusi Canoe Marathon, which remains the biggest race on the calendar. The Umkomaas marathon is arguably the roughest water raced in K1s and K2s anywhere in the world, and the river season winds down with Nonstop Dusi and Tugela Marathons.
![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-09 at 10.47.15](https://dabulamanzi.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/WhatsApp-Image-2023-07-09-at-10.47.15.jpeg)
![Umko 17](https://dabulamanzi.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Umko-17.jpg)
![Umko 21](https://dabulamanzi.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Umko-21.jpg)
Read more about River Proficiency and River Safety before getting your river legs on.