On Saturday September 17, Row2Recovery will be competing in the Great River Race, the annual 21-mile Thames marathon

The inspirational team of injured and able-bodied servicemen, who are seeking to raise £1 million by rowing the Atlantic this December, will be taking on over 2,400 enthusiastic leisure rowers and out-and-out regular racers in a variety of craft as they race up the Thames. Row2Recovery has also been selected as the official charity of the Great River Race and a number of teams will be helping to raise money for injured service personnel and their families.

The Great River Race will be the first outing for the new boat which has been specially-built for Row2Recovery’s Atlantic crossing. The contest is also an important part of the crew’s training schedule as the December start date looms closer. Charity founder Ed Janvrin will be taking part in Saturday’s race with four injured soldiers:

“The Great River Race is a fantastic event for Row2Recovery – not only will we raise a lot of money for the campaign but we will competitively race in the boat we will use to cross the Atlantic in December. The crew are really excited and we would like to invite all our supporters to come down to the Thames to cheer on the guys as we take on the 21 mile marathon.”

The Great River Race commences at the Millwall, Slipway in London Docklands at 13.40 on Saturday September 17. The Race is run on a ‘slowest away first, fastest last’ pursuit handicap basis, meaning the last boat away will have to make up 58 minutes to win. A winner is expected at Ham riverside, below Ham House, Richmond, at about 16.35, with approximate intermediate bridge timings as follows: Tower – 14.10; Westminster – 14.25; Battersea – 14.45; Putney – 15.00; Hammersmith – 15.15; Chiswick – 15.45; Kew – 16.00 and Richmond – 16.30.

Roger Mutton, Great River Race deputy chairman, said: “It is great to see such a diverse and competitive entry. We are proud to announce Row2Recovery as our official charity and delighted to welcome their crew to the Race. And it all can be followed by GPS tracking live on our website.”

Donations will be distributed between Help for heroes, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and SSAFA Forces Help – three organisations which work tirelessly to improve the lives of men and women returning from combat.

To donate, please visit www.row2recovery.com