Marathon men

By Russell Bennett
The keen kayaker first participated in the five-day, 400-kilometre Murray River Marathon when he was just 16 years old.
Now 47, Mr Dinkreve plans to complete another 27 before he considers hanging up his oars.
“My main goal is to do 50,” he said.
“I’ll be 74 or 75 by then but that’s what keeps me going.”
The Murray River event is one of the longest canoe and kayaking races in the world. It started in 1969 when Mark Thornthwaite and nine friends decided to paddle 250 miles, or 402km, to raise money for the Red Cross.
Money raised during this year’s event, which starts on 27 December, will go to the YMCA.
Mr Dinkreve, a father of four, was introduced to the event in 1979 through a friend in the Belgrave Venturers troop.
“He didn’t really tell me anything about it, but I didn’t ask,” he said.
“Training for the event back then consisted of sitting at Aura Vale Lake in the boat, eating donuts.
“I remember my mum coming to pick us up and seeing the boat completely dry.
“We hadn’t even entered the water.”
Mr Dinkreve’s first race equipment was a cheap, heavy canoe and Kmart paddles.
“I’ve done 22 events so far and that one, in 56 hours, is the slowest on record to this point,” he said.
“But you wouldn’t keep doing it if you didn’t love it.
“I don’t have the cushiest bum and the chafing and blisters over the five-day stretch make it extremely hard to even sit down.”
Mr Dinkreve said his commitment to the race came second only to his family.
“It’s more important than work,” he said.
“I don’t work through Christmas because I’m preparing for the race.”
His most important things often come together, with his wife Helen a part of his ‘land crew’ for 19 years.
“My kids Michelle, Cari, Brianna and Sam have always been involved too,” he said.
“Sam and Brianna think it’s better than Christmas.”
Mr Dinkreve and his current marathon partner Gary Wardrope have been training six hours a week since October.
“I take it a bit more seriously now than I did in 1979,” Mr Dinkreve said.
“That said, I did my fastest time in 1992 and I didn’t train.”
Mr Dinkreve and Mr Wardrope are hoping to break the 40-hour mark this year.
“We’re just two mates paddling down the river, putting in the hard yards,” Mr Dinkreve said.
“And those memories will last a lifetime.”