TWO Hereford Kayak Club members competed in the annual Devizes to Westminster 125 mile Kayak Race, with Shaun Thrower finishing in third place in his first major race of the year.
In his fifth attempt at the race held over four stages in four days, Thrower was amongst the leading pack and completed the race in 16 hours 30 minutes, which was won by Steffen Burkhardt, a top international paddler from Germany.
Thrower has now turned his attentions to the Glasgow to Edinburgh 55 mile Kayak Challenge, in preparation for his main race of the year, the Yukon River Quest in Canada, a race over 465 miles in June.
There was also a sixth-place finish by Mark Burgoyne who had entered the race for the first time.
Having represented Great Britain in sprint events, Burgoyne produced a great performance over a longer distance, especially with poor weather conditions and low water levels creating a difficult race.
This did not deter a record turnout, including a top international field of competitors Thrower and Burgoyne would like to thank their back-up team, who they say are an integral part of the race.
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