On the first Sunday in September, the Isle of Ely Rowing Club hosts its annual contribution to distance rowing – the Great Ouse marathon. This rowing fixture first took place as an invitational event in September 2009 and has grown over subsequent years.
The marathon starts at West Norfolk Rowing Club, in Denver.
WNRC stands 50m upstream of the iconic Denver sluice that regulates the inexorable passage of the River Great Ouse to the North Sea. A car park next to WNRC provides space for cars, trailers and boat rigging, and it is from here that marshals from WNRC and IOERC organize crews for the start, just beyond WNRC. Friendly volunteers help with refreshments, safety boats, preparing space for rigging and organising as well as greeting all rowers, friends and family within the picturesque surroundings adjacent to the Denver Sluice.
After a rolling start, competitors relax into their rowing and take solace in the calm of the Fens as they trace the gently winding Great Ouse upstream towards Ely.
Bridges, as well as strategically posted signs, function as distance markers along the course. Passing under the bridge at Ten Mile Bank, framed on one side by Fenland cottages, indicates 4km in the bag and another 11km to go before the A1101 road bridge, north of Littleport. Once under Littleport Bridge at 16.5km, there is only 5.5km of straight river to go (the course used for the 2021 University boat race) before the finish just before Queen Adelaide bridge.
Rowers who take part in the marathon come in all shapes and sizes, from experienced eights to novice fours to masters’ singles: all are welcome in this idyllic setting on the Great Ouse. A quiet back road (ideal for cycling) runs parallel with the river, enabling friends and relatives to check on a crew’s progress almost every step of the way.
Once across the finish line it’s a short paddle to the Isle of Ely Rowing Club where weary rowers are offered friendly assistance in lifting their boats from the water. There is plenty of opportunity to sit and recover and enjoy the stunning views of Ely Cathedral from the club, and to replace those lost calories with an assortment of refreshments, including a BBQ and cakes baked by members of IOERC.
As well as providing a great opportunity for training ahead of the Boston Marathon, the Isle of Ely Great Ouse marathon is also appropriate for those who have recently learned to row to test their mettle. Many novice rowers have taken up this challenge in the past and both juniors and seniors cross the finish line tired, but euphoric at just how far they have com
