Yarra’s Edge a welcome sight

Yarra’s Edge was a very welcome end of the track/river for 800 competitors in the inaugural Marysville to Melbourne Multi-sport Challenge on April 10.

The grueling 155km trek saw competitors run across Black Saturday fire-affected mountains, road cycle and then paddle a kayak down the Yarra River in a single day.

About 100 competitors were still paddling after dark, making the event a lonely experience for many.  But the big crowd at Docklands was a welcoming sight for exhausted competitors.

The event raised money for the Berry Street charity and participants contributed to the Black Saturday fire-affected area through monies spent over the race weekend.

Luke Haines from Geelong was the first man home in 7 hours 53 minutes.  The first woman to finish was Elizabeth Dornam.

A police team led by Commissioner Simon Overland did well finishing mid-field with the police chief demonstrating his kayaking skill and good fitness to bring the team home to Yarra’s Edge well before dark.