AFTER an incredible five days and 404km of paddling, 250 participants of the YMCA Massive Murray Paddle will be aching to see the finish line in Swan Hill today.
Paddlers will begin the last leg of the monster marathon, a breezy 77kms, in Murrabit this morning before crossing the finishing line at the Ten Steps later this afternoon.
Kicking off at Yarrawonga, the event got off to a troubling start when extreme storm weather hit around 4pm on Monday near Cobram.
But according to YMCA representative Leon Newton, the response from the participants was a testament to the spirit of comradery and hard-work that pervaded the marathon.
“All the paddlers that were still on the water when the storm-front came through were ready to help out other paddlers,” he said.
“It showed that it wasn’t just about competition, but about community and helping each other out as well.”
With the wild weather damaging the day two route from Tocumwal to Picnic Point, rendering it too dangerous to attempt, paddlers redid the first leg from Yarrawonga to Tocumwal on the second day.
From then on, it was “literally smooth sailing”, according to Mr Newton.
For more on this story, pick up a copy of Friday’s Guardian (November 28).
