Newbury pair tackle canoe marathon

Annual 125-mile race sweeps through the area as paddlers take to the canal and locks

NEWBURY Canoe Club's Scott Hunt and Jamie Walker will be among the 500-plus paddlers tackling the annual Devizes to Westminster marathon at the weekend.

They will be bidding to follow in the wake-steps of former Newbury record-holder Tim Cornish when they tackle the 125 miles in the 63rd staging of the event.

The senior doubles pairs will be setting off from Devizes Wharf at staggered times during Saturday, with the best reaching Westminster Bridge inside 17 hours.

Junior paddlers set off on Friday and compete over four stages to finish on Easter Monday.

Many of the paddlers have been gearing up by competing in the Newbury CC's four-stage Waterside Series, which was won this year by the crew of Gabor Levai and Clive Neale fomr Tonbridge.

Reading's David Coulson and Dan Seaford were second in the main senior K2 event.