The Berg and River Canoe Marathon is the main event on the WCCU  (Western Cape Canoeing Union) racing calendar and the flagship event.

This 4 day Berg-River-Canoe Marathon event covers a distance of over 250km from Paarl all the way to Velddrif. This is  an extreme canoe race not for the faint-hearted.

On the Tuesday a time trial is held to determine the starting positions of the top 60 paddlers in the event.

The Berg River Canoe Marathon has been contested since 1961. It is an extremely tough canoeing challenge, taking place over four days and covering 227 kilometres, making it the longest race in South Africa.

On top of this, the race takes place in the South African winter. The weather can be a fierce opponent, not to mention the tricky nature of the river.

The water tends to be fast-flowing, but the channels are narrow, and overhanging trees give another angle to the test.

Berg and River Canoe Marathon

Provisional Date: 10 – 14 July 2008
Where: Paarl to Velddrif

For more information on this event, including the confirmed dates for the Berg and Canoe Marathon, subscribe to our Editor’s Picks Newsletter.

Read our directions to Paarl article to see how to get to Paarl from Cape Town and the Airport.