by Lynn Cox

lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

Rowers from the University of Greenwich won both the annual Universities at Medway Boat Races at the weekend.
The event was held on the River Medway on Saturday .
The women’s four beat the Canterbury Christ Church crew, and the men defeated the University of Kent during the contest, rowed over a 1.6-mile course from Cuxton, past the M2 bridge and finishing at Rochester Esplanade.
The student rowers battled it out for the right to call themselves heads of the river in Medway.
Last year the women’s crew from the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent’s men’s crew took the titles.
Preparation
The event is organised by Universities at Medway Students’ Association, which represents all students at the shared campus.
Students had been working throughout the winter months on their fitness and rowing techniques in preparation for the race.
The rowers were trained by coaches at Medway Towns Rowing Club, with the event being sponsored by the Rochester Bridge Trust.
The trophies and medals for the event were created by Medway artist Paula Groves, who also awarded the teams their trophies.
Nick Ellwood, from the University of Kent, said: “The event went really well. Students from the University of Greenwich were crowned the winners.
“It’s the third year the event has been held and it’s becoming more popular each year.”