The 2025 Fish River Canoe Marathon returns to the calendar after a break to get infrastructure in place for to combat the risk of foot and mouth within the local agricultural sector.
On October 10-11 the country’s elite river paddlers will once again be racing for national glory on the Fish River as this year’s event has been designated as the 2025 SA K2 River Championships. In 2023, local Eastern Cape heroes Greg Louw and Andy Birkett won their third Fish River Canoe Marathon, while the KZN crew of Saskia Hockly and Christie Mackenzie dominated the women’s event.
We all eagerly await to see who is going to team up and race for line honours at this year’s event.
The Fish River Canoe Marathon has a 43-year history. After the completion of the Orange Fish River Tunnel in 1975, saw a few cubic feet of fountain water turn into a fast-flowing action packed 26 cubic metre we know today. The two-day race from Grassridge Dam to Cradock in the Eastern Cape quickly become one of the biggest and most popular canoeing events in the world.
The 82km’s of golden brown water that meanders through some of the most breathtaking scenery the Karoo has to offer, makes for an unforgettable experience for the entire field. The mix of technical weirs, tricky rapids and long distances, make it a great test for back makers and leaders alike. The controlled water release also makes the racing exciting as all the competitors get to test themselves on the same river in the same conditions every year.
Come join the Fish River Canoe Marathon team for a truly unforgettable weekend, with legendary hospitality and unbelievable scenery in the heart of the Karoo
Entries opened this week on the Paddlesport SA entry portal (paddler.paddlesportsa.com) and more information can be found at fishmarathon.org.za