Dusi Canoe Marathon superstar Andy Birkett and his young partner Dave Evans won the 2022 edition of the challenging river race in Durban on Saturday after three days of powerful paddling.

The two former Maritzburg College pupils held off a strong challenge from Thulani Mbanjwa and Msawenkosi Mtolo for Birkett to secure his ninth consecutive Dusi title and 12th overall, and Evans his first.

Birkett has now won the K2 (doubles) format of the 120km river marathon seven times, mostly with different partners, and the K1 (singles) five times since 2010.

The race format changes every year.

The 31-year-old veteran and 21-year-old Evans finished eight minutes and six seconds ahead of second-placed Mbanjwa and Mtolo after the three days of near flawless racing from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

Nqobile Makhanya and Sbonelo Khwela came third, 16 minutes and 52 seconds off the pace.

Saturday’s third and final stage of the “sporting adventure” took paddlers 36km from Inanda Dam outside Hillcrest to Blue Lagoon in Durban.

The women’s competition was won by Abby Solms and Bianca Haw ahead of pre-race favourites Jordan Peek and Christie Mackenzie.

Solms won the gruelling competition for the third time, while Haw now has two titles to her name.

They finished 10 minutes and 32 seconds ahead of Peek and Mackenzie, while former Olympian, Bridgitte Hartley, and her relatively inexperienced partner Pippa McGregor were 50 minutes behind the winning pair in third place.

Hartley came third in the K1 last year behind Mackenzie and Peek respectively.

This was the 71st edition of the Dusi, with food company MyLife as headline sponsor of the race for the second year running.