The 2025 Berg River Canoe Marathon is shaping up to be a race for the ages with two of the event’s legends facing up against the new generation.
Tom Lovemore may have been living in the shadow of his world-beating brother Hamish over the past 18 months, but the 26-year-old from Knysna carved his own place in the Berg history last year when he edged to his first victory in the gruelling four-day race from Paarl to Velddrif.
On Wednesday to Saturday this week he will defend his title, and despite a relatively low-key build up, the Knysna canoe builder is one of the favourites – but he faces a true challenge of the ages.
Two legends of the Berg, Hank McGregor and Robbie Herreveld, with a combined age of 100 and total of 19 wins between them, look most likely to be the roadblock to Lovemore’s hopes of a repeat victory.
12-time World Champion McGregor won his 13th Berg in 2023, and although at 47 he is coming toward the end of his career as the world’s most successful marathon kayaker, he is still a contender for every race he starts.
Herreveld, at 53, proved to be a shock contender 12 months ago when he ended the opening three stages on the wave of Lovemore. He was only forced to concede after illness robbed him of the chance to mount a serious challenge on the final day and he ended in a very credible second overall.
Few thought the six-time race winner could pose a serious threat last year, and until a couple of weeks ago there were many who thought his 2024 race was a freakish anomaly and he had no chance of repeating his heroics – and then he won the final pre-Berg race from Gouda to Bridgetown on June 21 to establish himself as a contender once again.
This year he would love nothing more than to become the race’s older winner, to go along with the title of the youngest ever winner from his 1991 victory as a fresh-faced 19 year old.
The women’s race is also shaping up to be interesting with the strongest field for many years. The late withdrawal of SA team members Pippa McGregor and Nix Birkett establishes two-time winner Jenna Nisbett as the firm favourite.
Her recent selection for the World Marathon team means her focus may have shifted to Hungary in September as her big event for the year, but it is hard to see Nisbett not adding a third title to her palmares.
Defending champion Stephanie von der Hyde will not agree and her win last year was certainly no fluke. With two wins in preparation races, she will join Bianca Beavitt and Christy Shrimpton as former winners with the credentials to at least claim a spot on the podium.
However, it looks likely young runner-up from 2024, Neriyah Dill, may pose the biggest threat to Nisbett. The Stellenbosch University paddler convincingly won the Gouda to Bridgetown on June 21 and this year could be the time when a young star of the future makes her mark on #TheUltimateCanoeRace.
The Berg River Canoe Marathon starts at 9am on Wednesday in Paarl, and finishes 240km downstream at Velddrif on Saturday.
Header image: credit John Hishin
