Press Release

19th October 2008
Hemel Hempstead Canoe Club at Longridge Marathon
11.26 km with 1 portage on the Thames below Marlow

Five paddlers represented HHCC at the Longridge Marathon race on Sunday 19th October. 

Shirine and UnC Al got off to a rocky start in the div 4,5 and 6 K2 event (11.26km) when they were nearly capsized by a cavalier safety boat. With everything to go for, but confidence not yet restored, the duo wobbled on down towards the first turn, battling it out with Slasher Preston and Jurassic Petersen in their ICF C2.  Preston & Petersen beat them to it, only to be out-turned by the nimbler K2.   [

Meanwhile John Bennett was having a rubbish time at the start and decided to retire from the race.

The tussling continued up to the top turn, where the strength of the weir stream caught Shirine & UnC Al by surprise.  On down to the one portage of the race (put in by the race organisers just to make life difficult) where Preston & Petersen overtook the staggering K2 double and got a head start into the last 3 miles. 

Finally Shirine and UnC Al started to paddle together well, and regained the lead from Preston & Petersen to storm through the finish in a time of 1.03.08. 

Not far behind, but with the race organisers failing to register their time (how difficult is it to recognise the only ICF C2 in the whole event...?), were Preston & Petersen, in what must have been a time of 1.04/05.
 
All in all, bar John just not setting off on the right note, a grand day out on the river.