Boston Rowing Marathon

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The Boston Rowing Marathon is an event taking place on the third Sunday of September annually in Lincolnshire, England. It is a Head Race of exceptionally long distance. The course is along the River Witham from Lincoln to Boston, finishing at the Boston clubhouse; a total of 49 kilometers or 31 miles. The current record for this is 2hrs 59mins 45secs, by the University of London. It is organised by Boston Rowing Club. The long distance of the event makes it unique in British rowing and thus attracts a lot of entries; some competing for a time, others only wanting to complete the distance. The event is also ususual in accepting entries from all crews and categories. The 2006 marathon had 283 entries.

The current start is a set of landing stages at Stamp End Lock, Waterside South, Lincoln, opposite the home of Lincs FM. As of yet there is no rowing club in Lincoln, however a Lincoln RC has been founded and its facilities are likely to be used in future when a boathouse is constructed.

The race is also a favourite for its witty T-Shirts: "It's long and hard" being a classic reused for the 2006 marathon.

[edit] History

The event started as a one off competition in 1946, as a pub bet, and was big news for the town. This original row was from Boston to Lincoln and was repeated for the next 3 years as a private event.

In 1949, Crowland Rowing Club also competed, and the course was reversed to finish at Boston. It was easier to finish at the boathouse, and the pub was next door.

In 1950 the event was opened to all competitors and has remained so to this day. It was only cancelled once, in 2000, due to the fuel crisis.