GROSVENOR Rowing Club’s veterans ‘E’ quad smashed the Boston Marathon course record in Lincolnshire.
Rowing on the River Witham, the quad sculls team, aged 55-60, completed the gruelling 31-mile race in three hours 47 minutes, smashing the previous course record by almost 30 minutes.
Mike Allwood (stroke), John McMahon, Brian Chapman and Steve Walker (bow and coach) finished 14th overall out of more than 200 crews.
This caps a remarkable racing season for the veteran E quad.
The crew was only put together in last autumn’s head race season, following the return to competitive rowing of McMahon after two years out of the sport due to ill health – first with a shoulder reconstruction operation following a cycling accident in October 2005, then a heart attack in October 2006.
Coach Walker coached the crew over an extended period, gradually improving the sculling technique of the crew members. This was rewarded first with a silver medal at the National Veterans Championship in June, followed by the highlight of a gold medal at the Henley Veterans Regatta in July.
Grosvenor’s men’s veteran C eight (43-49 years) bettered the E quad’s time in the Boston Marathon, finishing 12th overall in 3:44 with a crew consisting of Jeremy Perkins, Ad Gideonse, Jeremy Lush, Paul Clifford, Colin Morris, Pete Abbott, Mike Hughes, Dave Naylor and cox Gemma Welsh.
Sculler Paul Johnston completed the day for Grosvenor by winning the veteran C sculls (37-43 years) in a time of 3:58.
