Organisers of the Hansa Powerade Dusi are working long days and nights to ensure that they are ready for the 55th running of the event next week.
”We have had everything thrown at us this year,” said Cameron Mackenzie, chairperson of the organisers.
”From crocodiles in the upper Umgeni earlier this year, a personal face-to-face with a black mamba in the Valley and stacks and stacks of water — we have coped well. I can now say that we will be ready to welcome the few thousand people to the region next week.
”Close on 2 000 paddlers have already entered and we expect more between now and the race. Entries are still open and we expect more in the next few days. We are really excited that we have already raised over R130 000 for Starfish, the Aids orphans charity.”
Paddlers can still bid for a place in the Starfish batch, which is the fifth batch to leave each day. The auction closes on Friday.
Recent rains have filled the rivers and dams and Umgeni Water has promised healthy water releases for the race. The Dusi is currently at about Dusi level and more rains are expected in the next few days, which will give the rivers even more of a flushing-out.
”Working for Water have done a terrific job with hyacinth and other aquatic weeds. A team led by Debbie Sharp has been working in the valley for a few months now and they have managed to clear almost all of the hyacinth in the river.
”In the last few years, paddlers have been forced to get out of the river at certain points because the hyacinth was so thick. In 2002, this ended in a paddler being bitten by a black mamba while he was running, so we are very grateful to Working for Water for all they have done,” Mackenzie said.
An innovation that is proving very popular is Dusi Radio. This is a web radio connected to the Dusi site with daily updates until Wednesday January 18 followed by regular updates during the race. More than 300 people a day listen to it and this is expected to peak to a few thousand during the race.
Meanwhile, paddlers and organisers alike make last-minute preparations for the three-day race, which begins at 6am on January 19 at Camps Drift in Pietermaritzburg and finishes at Blue Lagoon in Durban on Saturday January 21.
Although entries are closed, late entries will be accepted until the day before the race. A late-entry fee will apply. — Sapa