3 Rivers Marathon – 14th November 2021

Port Macquarie’s Three Rivers Marathon was set to provide an entrée to the 2021/22 racing season in August. However, it was postponed until September when the government shut down all activity in the state due to the increase in covid infections. The regular regatta season was programmed to begin in September but was progressively deferred by the cancellation of 6 regattas (Henley-on-Hunter and Pre-IV in September, Lake Macquarie Derby, HVGS and NUBC in October and Newcastle Grammar in November). The Three Rivers was postponed for a second time until November and the CDRA Sprint Championships, set down for November, were deferred to December. 

The Endeavour Racing Squad finally made a belated start to competition in the middle of November with the Three Rivers Marathon starting the proceedings. 

Those who arrived in Port Macquarie on Saturday were met by gale force winds, but Sunday’s conditions were calmer with only a slight breeze. The marathon followed a 25 km course from Telegraph Point down the Wilson, Maria and Hastings Rivers to finish at Port Macquarie Rowing Club. The wind speed increased as the marathon progressed, but all 4 Endeavour crews completed the course.

First home in the quad scull division was Newcastle Rowing Club with Endeavour filling the next 3 places – 2nd: Endeavour’s ‘Mixed Quad’ (Katrina Whitely, Owen Redhead, Dave Percival, Diana Trescott) with an elapsed time of 2 hrs 1 min 50 secs (less than 3 minutes behind) – 3rd: ‘Mums With Guns’  (Kerry Blatchley, Ilona Hudson, Jules Bosco, Teressa Chadwick) 2 hrs 9 mins 21 secs – 4th: ‘Seas the Day’ (Gillian Weatherall, Kim Stedman, Rosie Furness, Di McShane, coxn Samantha Chadwick) 2 hrs 13 mins 27 secs. 

Our fourth crew was Tony Chadwick who tackled the elements in a single scull for a time of 2 hrs 27 mins 15 secs. This was an amazing feat by all these rowers and, notably, there was a Chadwick in 3 of our 4 crews.

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