TWO 14-year-old Ilkley boys have competed in the annual Boston rowing marathon.

Harry Burns and Ruairi Hawthorn, who are both are in Year 10 at Bradford Grammar School, were the youngest competitors to take part in the race on Sunday, September 16, and completed it in six hours. Double Olympic gold medal winning rower James Cracknell completed it in 2017 in a record three and a half hours.

The course is 31 miles long from Lincoln boat club to Boston boat club on the River Witham and is very challenging. They rowed in a double scull appropriately named Hoc Age (Just do it) the motto of Bradford Grammar School.

Harry’s mum Sue Burns said: “The boys are both very keen rowers and this was a massive challenge for them.

“At one point the course involves having to stop and lift the boat out of the water at a lock and then reboat it, get back in and keep rowing!

“Lots of Mars Bars and bananas were consumed en route!”