School groups hollered chants at each other across the boat ramp, lifting the spirits of weary paddlers dressed in red to mark Red Day, as they hit the penultimate stretch of the 404km event.

'We figured we'd be sunburnt by day four and the chaps would be a good way to cover up,' says flaming cowboy Jeff Cornish from Macrae.

'Red Day is just a bit of fun to keep things interesting on the river,' says Swan Hill ironwoman Narelle Pollock, dressed in a curly red wig and top hat. She is paddling the full distance solo for the second time in this year's event.

The leader board remains the same. Tom Simmat is ahead of the pack with a handicap time of 16 hours and eight minutes, followed by Ian Newland and Rod Clark in second place, and Tony Bond and Stewart Nicol in third.

Defending their lead in the open schools category is last year’s winner, the Woodleigh Water Ratz, with a time of five hours, 24 minutes and four seconds. They are still followed closely by Wellers A and Trinity Green.

The event attracts a wide variety of participants, from seasoned paddlers who compete year after year, to novices in it for the camaraderie and a laugh, and a sense of accomplishment.

‘I haven’t seen any competition, because nobody can compete with us,’ says Peter Ewell, who fields a team of survivors this year - he and another crew member have recovered from paralysing strokes, while his wife has fought renal cancer.

One of the longest canoe races in the world, the Red Cross Murray Marathon started in Yarrawonga on December 27, and arrives in Swan Hill on New Year’s Eve. Today, paddlers make their way from Echuca to Torrumbarry, and the final stretch tomorrow covers 75km of the Murray from Murrabit to Swan Hill.

Funds raised by paddlers and their dedicated support crew help Red Cross deliver services to vulnerable people in Victoria, from reuniting families who have been separated by war or disaster to helping communities cope after major emergencies.