Dabs News | Berg 2026

Yet another title for the GOAT. Almost 50 and now with 15 Berg wins, after first winning it when he was 22 back in 2000. Although the Pope won 15 Dusi’s in 19 years and Andy Birkett is on 16 Dusi wins in 17 years, what makes Hanks 15 Berg wins so remarkable is that he has remained capable of dominating one of the toughest river marathons for more than a quarter of a century, bullying boys half his age. Amazing.

Day 1, the 62km stage, was raced in dry but cold and cloudy conditions, and our boys were in the mix up front with Sbuda and Benji finishing in fourth and fifth places just ahead of 2024 Champ, Tom Lovemore, but some 9 minutes behind the first two home, where the 48 year old Hank McGregor finished one second ahead of the young local race favourite, 22 year old Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert while KZN’s Mzawe Mtolo claimed third, some 3 minutes off the pace.

Day 2 was a cold and misty morning. This is the short one (46km) but the difficult one with all the tree blocks. It’s often also the defining one, because it’s the only stage with an elapsed time start, where Hank the master tactician, typically likes to try make a break to give himself some space going into day 3 and 4, which are batch starts. Hank’s day wasn’t clean or easy, he had a couple of swims and had to burn some matches to recover, but he finished the day some two-and-a-half minutes ahead of his less experienced young rival Josh. Behind them the positions changed radically with Maher finishing third, Lovemore fourth, and Mtolo fifth. Benji dropped back to 9th, Sbuda to 11th and Sosi was 13th – so all still had top ten prospects while Ethan was just behind the first lady, young Neriha Dill, who was 20th, with a commanding lead of 30 minutes over the next lady, Christie Shrimpton.
Day 3, the long 72km one from Bridgetown, started with thick mist across Misverstand, but without Sbuda who had withdrawn due to tendinitis. Hank was first off the dam, and then dropped on the portage, so a 4-ball went away without him, no-doubt trying their hardest to drop and break him, leaving Hank to solo for over 30km’s till he caught them at Klipheuwel with about 20km to go. No wonder they call him ‘Hank the Tank’. Then disaster struck for Josh, dashing his dreams, when he broke his paddle which cost him almost half an hour, leaving Hank, Jeremy Maher and Tom Lovemore to finish the day together, gifting Hank a lead of 13 minutes with one day to go.

The 56k day 4 started with a reverse order start, pushing our Karen to the front of the Field for a short while before the racing snakes came through, but without Lovemore (who was in 3rd place) or Anders Hart (who was in 5th place) as they were ill overnight and had withdrawn, so the lead group was whittled down to four including Hank, Josh, Jeremy and Mzawe, but Josh had lost too much time after breaking his paddle, leaving 3 KZN boys to fill the podium of the Cape’s major river marathon. Well done to young Neriyah Dill on her win – although she had a very comfortable lead of over an hour after day 3, she then had a very uncomfortable night and did well just to start the final day, losing 30 minutes against guys like Ethan whom she had spent her first 3 days with, to finish 19th overall.

First home from our pond was Sosi aka Vinnige Phinny, in 9th place, Benji was 12th while Ethan was 15th. Ryno finished his 18th Berg just outside the top 20, (and is already trying to recruit for next year), Wongama made the top 30 while Mat Cockram finished his 17th in the top 40 saying “the weather has been amazing, 11degrees is not cold when you have been on the Vaal at -1.” Last but not least was Karen, on a bright pink Carbonology Cruiser sponsored by EuroSteel (which she was fantastic, and is now thinking of getting some for the club) to perform her sweep duties, who said after day 3 her arms were about to fall off. Well done to Karen for shepherding – 30 hours is a proper outing.

The Berg is a special race, particularly if you like winning it like Hank, or if you like pain like Matt, but it’s not easy. 74 started, 60 finished. Thanks to the sponsors, KWV and EuroSteel for a special weekend. So if you like a challenge, talk to Ryno and co – they are keen for you to go – plus as the Capies like to say; ‘you can’t call yourself a proper paddler till you have done the Berg’. And if you do more than one – well then that says lots about you….

In other news back home, teams are getting ready for the K3 Champs, where the stand-out boat is paddled by 3 senior statesmen who have 200 years between them, and they keep winning Time Trials, so the anti- doping people have been contacted and will be doing random drug tests in the near future. Finally, the talk on the water this weekend is that “Wanyno is the new Ryno” – if you have an empty seat in your K2 or K3, and need someone strong, ask Wayne, he’s willing.

Till next time – Go Dabs!