The 2026 Berg River Marathon is perfectly set up for a fascinating battle of contrasts as the 48-year-old world-beating Hank McGregor edged out young, rising star Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert on Day 1 from Paarl to Zonquasdrift on Wednesday.
John Hishin /Cape Town Sports Photography
The two paddled across the line together and were officially separated by almost exactly a second with Msawenkosi Mtolo just less than three minutes behind with a group of three – Sibusiso Chwayi, Benjamin Mntonintshi and 2024 champion Tom Lovemore – finishing in positions four to six, almost six minutes further back.
In the women’s race, U23 Neriyah Dill has already built a big lead. Despite a swim in Klei Rapid, the Peninsula paddler has a 12-minute advantage after the 62km opening stage, with 2023 champion Christy Shrimpton second, and Natasha Bradford rounding out the top three, another 11 minutes back.
Dill, who prepared for the Berg with four comfortable wins from the four “pre-Berg” races was never really in much trouble despite her mishap early on in the opening stage and is quietly confident going into Day 2 from Zonquasdrift to Bridgetown on Thursday. Berg River Marathon
“I had a brilliant day, except obviously at Klei Rapid with the unnecessary swim,” said Dill after the finish. “Quite a few of us just went into there at the same time and I could not get the right line. Other than that and one little treeblock I got stuck in, it was a really good day.”
“Tomorrow I will just try and get a good wave and navigate my way through the trees and treeblocks and just not make any mistakes.”
Up front, a group of four formed quickly with McGregor (Team Euro Steel), Lovemore (Salt Kayaks), Glyn-Cuthbert (Maties) and Mtolo (Plastic & Chemical Trading) dominating the action almost from the start cannon, with the chasers drifting out of contention soon after leaving Paarl.
Lovemore took a swim just after the halfway mark which meant the leading quartet was whittled down to a three-way battle for the final 23km, as the 14-time race winner McGregor, faced off against young Maties student Glyn-Cuthbert and experienced ultra-distance hard-man and five-time winner of the Dusi Non-Stop, Mtolo.
Mtolo fell away after Hermon Bridge and the race is now set up for a classic battle of the ages as the 48-year-old world-beating champion faces off against a 22-year-old future star who is less than half his age, but McGregor did not find things easy on Day 1.
“It was at long day,” said the 14-time winner. “The water wasn’t that full – it was definitely on the low side. The shallow water and slow moving current was tiring.”
“I’m happy to be to be leading and mixing it up in the front … you don’t want to be playing catch up on the next couple of days. Josh knows what you’re going and he’s done all the pre-races … in fact he has won all the pre so I think I’m in good hands with somebody like that who knows where he is going.”
“It is going to be tricky tomorrow and you can make mistakes,” added McGregor.
Day 2 is the shortest of the event at “only” 46km, but with some channels and treeblocks littering the route, there is plenty of opportunity for positions to change. The format is elapsed time start which means McGregor and Glyn-Cuthbert have the advantage of paddling together from the beginning of the stage. Mtolo is in the unenviable position of being in no-man’s land and having to paddle alone with a group three chasing him, while two can work together up ahead.
KZN’s McGregor will be relatively happy to have finished with his young rival and on Thursday the wily 11-time World Champion is likely to be content to follow the Maties student into the channels to reduce the risk of getting lost and losing a big chunk of time.
Selected Leading Results Berg River Marathon
Men
1 Hank Mcgregor 4:42:35
2 Joshua Glyn-Cuthbert 4:42:36
3 Msawenkosi Mtolo 4:45:27
4 Sibusiso Chwayi 4:51:19
5 Benjamin Mntonintshi 4:51:19
6 Thomas Lovemore 4:51:20
7 Jeremy Maher 4:52:12
8 Anders Hart 4:52:52
9 Heinrich Schloms 4:52:53
10 Zamokuhle Meyiwa 4:54:03
Women
1 Neriyah Dill 5.23.33
2 Christy Shrimpton 5.35.36
3 Natasha Bradford 5.46.03
