A dynamic duo not to be trifled with in the world of canoeing—Msawenkosi Mtolo and Thabani Msia—have won the Non-Stop Dusi canoe challenge for the 5th time!
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (12 March 2024) — It was hot and humid, but MyLife’s Msawenkosi Mtolo and Euro Steel’s Thabani Msia looked surprisingly untroubled by the challenges that the 2024 Non-Stop Dusi had thrown in their path when they cruised into the finish at the Kingfisher Canoe Club in Durban early on Friday afternoon.
The pair were full of smiles and enjoyed some lively back-and-forth banter with their supporters from the Change a Life Academy as they marked their fifth successive win of the Non-Stop Dusi.
It hadn’t been an easy day and the duo were pushed hard by the experienced pair of Sbonelo Khwela and Banetsi Nkhoesa.
The Non-Stop Dusi, also known as the toughest race in the world of local canoeing, is known for its fast pace and competitive challenges. Not to mention, the shortened overall distance due to the new start at Bishopstowe Hall, meant the winning time of 7:44:24 was a new record.
Other success stories saw Dusi champ Matt Fenn from East London slot into second overall and win the K1 category, also in a record time of 8:08:12.
As for the two race winners Msawenkosi and Thabani, it was all about sticking to their game plan.
“The guys pushed the pace so hard early in the morning,” says Thabani. “Sbonelo was trying to open a gap on us. We didn’t want to fight with him.
“We knew our game plan, where we must push, and where we must rest,” he adds.
“Day one,” Msawenkosi said, identifying the most challenging section of this year’s race. “Sbonelo and Banetsi were going to try and stay with us, but suddenly they tried to put some intervals in on the runs to make us tired. As Thabani said, we didn’t want to stick with them. We stuck to our own game plan.”
Reflecting on their milestone fifth title in succession, Msawenkosi shares:
“It’s special for us. We never thought we would make it to five.
“In 2019, we wanted to get a look and a feel for the race. We weren’t chasing a position. But we told ourselves, when we come back, we want to win, and in 2020 we managed to win.”
In fact, they have won every year ever since then.
Leading Results
1 Msawenkosi Mtolo and Thabani Msia 7:44:24
2 Matthew Fenn (1st K1) 8:08:12
3 Benjamin Mntonintshi and Wongama Makasi 8:16:43
4 Mpilo Zondi and Jabulani Lucky 8:32:05
5 Martin Dreyer and Jeannie Dreyer (1st MD) 8:52:29
6 Raymond Radebe (2nd K1) 8:58:46
7 Thomas Ngidi (3rd K1) 8:58:49
8 Phineas Zulu and Ryno Armdorf 9:28:24
9 Stuart Roberts (4th K1) 9:38:16
10 Ric Whitton (5th K1) 9:53:41
Sources:`Gameplan Media
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