Organisers cancel 2020 Fish marathon

Following continued uncertainty around the hosting of mass participation sporting events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers of the 2020 Fish River Canoe Marathon have decided to cancel the race scheduled for September 25 and 26.

The event has become the biggest paddling event in the country and was set to host the South African National K1 and K3 River Championships this year, but with just over three months to go, organisers have made the decision to cancel the 38th edition of the race.

“Though SA is currently operating under level 3 of the lockdown regulations, there is no indication when mass participation events and functions will be able to start, or what the protocols will be,” organising committee chair Roy Copeman said.

“We’ve also had numerous meetings and discussions with affected parties, trying to take in all the known and unknown factors to determine our way forward.

“Given the scale and budget of the Fish, and the impact that it has on so many spheres of the Cradock community, we had to make a decision now,” he said.

“We strongly believe our solution is the one that benefits our paddlers the most.”

A number of other factors have hamstrung the organisers as the majority of the paddlers taking part travel into Cradock from outside the province which adds more uncertainty to hosting the two-day event.

“Cross provincial travel restrictions might potentially ease during lockdown level 2 but the status of ‘hotspots’ can fluctuate and prevent travelling between provinces any time during lockdown.

“Mass participation events will only be allowed to take place under lockdown level 0 and we are unsure of the timeframe of the various levels or when level 0 will happen.

“There is also uncertainty around when supporting businesses can operate normally, such as accommodation establishments and restaurants. This has a huge impact on our event,” he said.