The Gauteng Canoe Union\u2019s (GCU) Marathon Championships and the South African Marathon Championships are just around the corner.<\/p>\n
Paddlers were offered an ideal opportunity to finalise their preparation for the events at Victoria Lake Canoe Club\u2019s (VLC) Bearing Vision Flat Race at Germiston Lake, recently.<\/p>
\u201cThe VLC Flat Race has been around for almost as long as VLC, so I believe it\u2019s probably in its 45th year,\u201d explained Wayne Saunders, club chairperson.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically the event was always held in August as a build-up event for the Fish River Canoe Marathon held in the Eastern Cape.<\/p>
\u201cHowever, three years ago when we took on our new sponsor Bearing Vision, we moved the event to May to rather coincide with the build-up to Gauteng Canoe Union\u2019s (GCU) Marathon Championships and the South African Marathon Championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn doing so we changed the format slightly to suit the canoeists preparing for these events.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 18km paddle (shortened from 20km to ensure a good tester without too much lactic acid build-up ahead of the GCU championships) incorporated short portages which competitors had to complete after every second lap.<\/p>\n