Paddling to gold in river challenge

PADDLERS from far and wide travelled to Mareeba over the weekend to participate in the Barron River Challenge, with Brett Greenwood from Sydney taking home gold with a time of 3 hours, 56 minutes and 34 seconds in the top category.

The BRC50 winners “the baronesses” accepting their award.

The Barron River Challenge is run on the last weekend in May each year down the Barron River from the John Doyle bridge to Kuranda beach via Bilwon (Biboohra).

Paddlers navigated a unique section of the prominent Barron River for the challenge, split up into three different difficulties – BRC20, BRC30 and BRC50.

Following Greenwood in the BRC50 category was second placer Brett McDonald (Perth) with a time of 4 hours, 45 seconds and lo-cal man John van Ryt in third with a time of 4 hours, 1 minute and 5 seconds.

Geoff Pearce of Tweed Heads followed in fourth place with a time of 4 hours, 27 minutes and 9 seconds, whilst Brad Butler of Encounter Bay, South Australia came in fifth with a time of 4 hours 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

For the overall women’s category winners, the “baronesses”, Kate Martin and Sharon Cobley (Perth) came in first with a time of 5 hours, 49 minutes and 11 seconds.

In the BRC30 race, Kate Crossing (Perth) crossed the finish line in 4 hours 11 minutes 43 seconds and the mixed double paddlers, Robert and Tanya Laporte of Townsville, came in second with a time of 4 hours, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

In the BRC20 race between Mareeba and Bilwon, previous winner Steven Jenje (Mount Isa) came in first with a time of 1 hour 46 minutes and 43 seconds, holding off local ranger Robbie Miller who came in second with a time of 1 hour 50 minutes and 30 seconds whilst and local farmer Tony Marnane came in third with a time of 1 hour 55 minutes and 36 seconds.

Throughout the women’s event, records and personal bests were broken, with paddler Nicky Donaldson of Buderim achieving her goal of breaking the 2 hour barrier with 1 hour 56 minutes 43 seconds.

In second place was Julie McDonald and Kate Crossing (Perth) with a time of 2 hours 11 minutes 44 seconds and in third place was Cordula Kath (‘Lecker Farming’, Mareeba) with a time of 2 hours 11 minutes, 59 seconds.

All participants were congratulated on their efforts.