PAARL – Hank McGregor demonstrated why he remains the king of South African canoe marathoning on Wednesday, establishing a commanding lead of nearly six minutes on the opening day of the 2025 Berg River Canoe Marathon.
The 47-year-old multiple World Champion powered through the 62 km stage from Paarl to Zonquasdrift in 4:14:44, leaving his nearest competitor, 53-year-old veteran Robbie Herreveld, trailing by 5 minutes and 41 seconds. The performance has positioned McGregor as the overwhelming favorite to claim his 14th Berg River title.
“I didn’t expect that,” McGregor said when informed of his substantial margin of victory. “I would have taken just the win in an end sprint if somebody asked me at the start. So, yeah, I’m stoked with a gap that size.”
The race unfolded dramatically as McGregor broke away from an early leading group of four that included defending champion Tom Lovemore, U23 paddler Sam Butcher, and Siseko Ntondini around the 35-kilometer mark.
“We got away with a bunch of four just after Skooltjie,” McGregor explained. “I wanted to see what Tom and Sam had in the tank and put them under pressure a little bit and they came off at about the 35km mark.”
McGregor then worked with teammate Ntondini until Hermon Bridge, where he launched his decisive solo attack. “Siseko came off and I had to go on a solo charge to the finish line,” he said.
While McGregor’s dominance characterized the men’s race, the women’s competition proved far more competitive. 2021 champion Nix Birkett edged out Jenna Nisbet by a mere eight seconds in a thrilling finish, clocking 4:39:54.
“It was a pretty cool day with Jen and I together the whole day, and then I just managed to take her at the end,” Birkett said. “With three men in our group we all took turns pulling and the only drama I had was when I took one wrong turn – I think I lost about 30 seconds and had to work quite hard to catch up.”
The women’s race remains wide open, with last year’s runner-up Neriyah Dill in third place, six minutes behind the leaders, followed by 2024 champion Stephanie von der Heyde and three-time winner Bianca Beavitt.
Herreveld’s second-place finish ahead of Butcher and Ntondini means the top two men’s positions are occupied by paddlers with a combined age of 100 years, highlighting the endurance nature of the sport.
Race conditions and safety concerns
McGregor praised the opening day’s conditions, describing them as “great” with “really forgiving medium to low level” water. However, safety concerns have forced organizers to modify Thursday’s stage.
The second day will now run from Gouda to Bridgetown, with the dangerous Zonquasdrift to Gouda section removed due to low water levels and hazardous tree blockages.
“Tomorrow is a shortened stage because of the water level and the tree blocks which are super dangerous,” McGregor noted. “It is going to be a fast day and I am going to be on my own, so we will see what happens.”
Despite his commanding lead, the veteran remained cautious about the remaining stages. “It is still early days and still lots to come,” the 11-time World Champion added.
Birkett echoed similar sentiments about the unpredictable nature of the Berg River. “I know that a lot can change on this river, so I’m not going to claim anything until the race is over.”
Stage 1 Results:
Men:
- Hank McGregor – 4:14:44
- Robert Herreveld – 4:20:25
- Sam Butcher – 4:20:26
- Siseko Ntondini – 4:20:27
- Anders Hart – 4:22:13
Women:
- Nix Birkett – 4:39:54
- Jenna Nisbet – 4:40:02
- Neriyah Dill – 4:46:15
- Stephanie von der Heyde – 4:49:31
- Bianca Beavitt – 5:01:36
The Berg River Canoe Marathon continues Thursday with the modified second stage from Gouda to Bridgetown.
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