And they’re off…. in wonderful watery Wagga

2022 Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club  Round 1 Marathon Report

For the second year in a row, Wagga Bidgee Canoe Club hosted the first round of the Paddle NSW Marathon Series, on Saturday 5th February. The downriver format saw 68 paddlers, across divisions 1-7, take on the 26km Oura Beach to Wagga leg, with a further 29 paddlers from divisions 8-12 completing the 17km section, from Braehour Reserve.

Crossing the finishing line

Excellent rainfall in the local catchment throughout winter and spring, resulted in good releases from Blowering and Burrinjuck Dams, making for some of the best water levels seen in many a year on the mighty Murrumbidgee. So good were the conditions that greeted paddlers this year, that past tales from seasoned paddlers who had endured the drought years, of boats scraping along the bottom and rudders falling victim to hidden snags, seemed unimaginable.

Pre-race, the anticipation of racing on a faster-moving river was high. Amongst the more experienced, there was the prospect of a red hot time with faster lines to run. For some of the less experienced, there was an air of unease at the potential for an unintended swim. But for most, being free to travel beyond their LGA and return to some semblance of normality, meant it was an absolute joy to be at the starting line.  

There were smiles all around at the end, with some closely fought finishes across all divisions and all stages of their respective fields. A good contingent of paddlers from a number of different clubs attended the post race dinner and catch up on Saturday night, enjoying country hospitality at its best. Here the highly-sought-after WBCC cheese boards were distributed to the division winners.

Post race dinner and fun at the Palm and Pawn North Wagga Wagga

The return to this format for the Wagga race is proving popular and WBCC is keen to grow the weekend into a must do paddle escape, for clubs to come away to. Stay tuned for more details on our plans for next year! It will be the “Bidgee Bash” (existing downriver Marathon Race) on the Saturday, followed up by the “Bidgee Dash” on the Sunday morning, before people travel home. This will be a 7.5km downriver handicap race from Eunony Bridge, with cash prizes up for grabs. 

Report by Angela Farrell, Race Director and WBCC Commodore

Thanks to Jason Redlich for the images and video.

Next up is State Championships – Singles and Doubles in Canberra. Check it out and register!

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