On 15th September, the London Docklands welcomed The Great River Race, the capital’s largest annual river race. Spanning 21 miles London’s River Marathon attracts over 300 teams from across the world and all at different levels.

For over two decades the Great River Race has been a widely popular rowing event, attracting thousands of spectators including many famous faces. Among the celebrities that have fired the cannon at the start line is Sting, Sir Steven Redgrave, Sir Trevor Macdonald, Jerry Hall and Jane Horrocks to name but a few.

Since its inception in 1988 not only have the number of entrants and spectators grown, so too has the event itself. Crews taking part in the Great River Race have travelled to London from France, America, Germany, Italy, Canada, Ireland and many other countries, making the River Marathon an international event no-one wants to miss out on.
What happened and who were the winners?

Although there was a strong tide, many rowers didn’t let that hinder their impressive race times. There were many winners and below you can see some of the provisional results of this year’s Great River Race:

• Overall – Rafters completed the course in 02:06:33
• Fastest- Rafters completed the course in 02:06:33
• Women – OCUK women completed the course in 02:35:10
• Fastest Women – Kingston Royals Dragonboat Club Ladies completed the course in 02:30:44
• Junior Under 18 – Shoreham Gecko completed the course in 03:04:15
• Mixed – Long n Loose completed the course in 02:36:59
• Veterans over 40 – LTRC 1 completed the course in 02:49:44

The course – where can I watch the marathon race?

Taking on 21 miles of the River Thames, there were many places for spectators to wait, watch and cheer on their favourite crews. From Millwall Dock Slipway, London Docklands to the Riverside below Ham House in Richmond, the Great River Race attracted thousands of people and the atmosphere was truly amazing. At every stop rowers were met by cheering spectators, offering them support to keep pushing to the finish line.

When is The Great River Race?

The Great River Race starts at Millwall Dock Slipway, London Docklands on 15th September at 10.40am.

Next year, the race will be held on September 7, Start 12.15.

This was a remarkable family day out as many parents and children were cheering on these tremendous rowers and supporting many chosen charities in the process. At the finishing line many spectators shared the joy of the winning crew as they were presented with The Challenge Trophy of The Company Watermen Lightermen and named the UK Traditional Boat Champions. Many enjoyed a drink in the Great River Race marquee while watching the title contenders pass the finishing line. The Great River Race offers fun for all the family and we strongly recommend that you visit London next year during the 2013 Great River Race event.

The Great River Race was written by Refresh Accommodation, one of the best providers of short-stay London apartments

.