Boston Marathon weekend was a fantastic success for the two Loughborough Boat Club crews competing this year not only taking pots home but breaking and setting course records!
With the 50.2km race on Sunday, we had two crews brave enough to take on the challenge of the marathon rowing race event.
Surprisingly for the event, the sun was shining and the wind was low for the start of the race at Lincoln. Was this really the Boston Marathon?! With Jerry and Emma Heygate setting of first in the morning in a Mx,MasD 2-, followed by Andrea Bundon and Erica Gummery in a W.MasA 2x later that morning, the crews set off for several hours racing.
Both crews battled through the miles pushing themselves mentally and physically through pain. The race itself was relatively smooth with no major hiccups and mishaps (unlike many of the LBC crew experiences in years gone by). It was even a case that the LBC spectators could see both crews smiling throughout the event (especially when the camera’s were present). It was only the last 10km that the crews really had to push to fight through the weed that was catching their blades and rudders, slowing their pace and trying to break their motivation.
With both crew finishing the event into the afternoon, the women’s double came out with a fantastic result coming 1st out of 4 within their category and an overall time of 04 hrs 11min 39sec. Not only was this a winning time for the day but a new course record within the history of the event for their classification!
This was shortly followed by the mixed pair setting a course time of 05:31:52.4 and opening the record sheet for the first boat to complete the course for their classification. Although it was comment by many spectators and rowers alike that they were mad enough to even contemplate this, we can confirm that the couple were still married at the finish!
Based on these results this now takes Emma to become a triple record holder, being currently on the books for the fastest times for The Ouse Marathon in a W.IM3 8+ (2015), The Ouse Marathon in a Ms.4+ (2014) and Boston Marathon (above). And Andrea become a double record holder for The Ouse Marathon in a W.IM3 8+ (2015) and Boston Marathon (above).
A big thanks to the Club Captain, Keith for towing the trailer and the logistics support provided on the day.
