PADDLING is well underway in this year’s Massive Murray Paddle event with more than 450 competitors doing their best to raise funds for their cause of choice.
Now in its 51st year, the paddle started in Yarrawonga on Monday with wave one and wave two paddlers leaving at 7am and 7.30am respectively.
Day 1 line honours went to craft number 2019 with Rod Clark and James Miller in the UC2 Canoe.
They completed the 93 Kilometre leg in 7.5 hours with an average speed of 12.45 kilometres per hour.
On day 2, paddlers set off from Tocumwal facing warming temperatures that increased as the week progressed.
The winner for day 2 in Craft 134 was Glen Sheekey from Team Wooden Eye.
He completed the 93 Kilometre leg in 7 hours and 10 minutes at an average speed of 12.9 kilometres per hour.
With temperatures of 41 degrees predicted on Wednesday and Thursday, start times were brought forward an hour on Thursday while Wednesday’s shorter course resulted in no change to times.
Echuca was the destination on day 3 with competitors leaving from Picnic Point and arriving just past the riverboat town in the early afternoon.
Line honours for Day 3 went to New Zealand based Sean Murphy.
Due to code red fire conditions, day 4 (Thursday) was reassessed and cancelled.
Paddlers made their way to Murrabit by road to set up for the final day which will finish in Swan Hill this afternoon with waves of paddlers expected between 1-4pm at 10 steps in Riverside Park.
