Maties’ success in the 63rd Berg Canoe Marathon

The Maties Canoe Club claimed the Giel van Deventer Trophy at the end of the Berg River Canoe Marathon for the first time.

The annual 223 km canoe trek, spanning four days from Paarl to Velddrif, is widely regarded as one of the toughest river races in the world.

This year the Berg started on Wednesday 2 July and saw paddlers reach the West Coast on Saturday 5 July, no different than before, with each of the four stages presenting new challenges.

Despite three paddlers from the Stellenbosch-based canoe club withdrawing from the race due to illness and injury, the Maties still managed to produce an exceptional number of finishers, securing the Giel van Deventer Trophy for the first time. The trophy is awarded to the club with the most Berg finishers, and 17 Maties made it over the finish line this past Saturday.

Special milestones were reached by four Maties paddlers, when Rachel van Deventer, James Sharpe, Stefan Erlank, and Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert completed their first Berg. On the other side of the scale was the club’s veteran paddlers, affectionately known as the “Turbo Toppies”, who brought a wealth of experience and passion to the race. Among the “Toppies” were Gerhard Beukes, who completed his 42nd Berg, Johan Serdyn his 35th and Francois Meyer his tenth.

This year’s edition brought unexpected adversity, particularly for student paddlers Glyn-Cuthbert and Tayla Isaac, who both fell ill the night before day 3 of the race. Nevertheless, they persevered through the race’s longest 73 km stage, finishing not only the day but the full race.

Glyn-Cuthbert made a strong comeback on day 4, finishing sixth overall for the day.

Adding to the club’s display of endurance eas Carel Botha, who completed the Berg just weeks after finishing both the Comrades Marathon and the Freedom Challenge, covering nearly 2 500 km in one month.

More than just a race, the Berg is a true test of endurance that demands careful strategy, resilience and preparation. Paddlers must manage their nutrition, their fatigue, protect their equipment and bodies, and avoid illness from the river water or overnight stops. The physical toll is immense, so the mental strength required is even greater.

The following Maties paddlers successfully completed the 2025 Berg River Canoe Marathon: Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert, Conrad Kriel, Dawid Malherbe (GM, third), Stefan Erlank, Armand van Niekerk, Rachel van Deventer (under-23, second), Daantjie Malan (GGM, second), Francois Meyer, Gerhard Beukes (GGM, third), James Sharpe, Tayla Isaac (under-23, third), Schalk Smit (winner of Peninsula Iron Man and SGM, second), Barry Muller, Johan Serdyn (super GM, second), Johan van Rooyen (Legend, first), Adie de Kock and Carel Botha.