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The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race in England. The race is held every Easter over a course of from Devizes in Wiltshire to Westminster in central London. It has been run since 1948. Starting at Devizes wharf, the route follows the Kennet and Avon canal for 54 miles to Reading, where it joins the Thames. Another 54 miles later it reaches Teddington Lock, ending 17 miles later at Westminster Bridge. Personalities to own a DW medal are former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, double Olympic gold medallist rower James Cracknell and Rebecca Stephens, the first woman to climb Everest solo. In 2011, world champion kayakers Ben Brown and Ivan Lawler attempted to beat the record,〔Accessed 5 June 2011〕 but retired after 9 hours and 51 minutes, defeated by wrist injury, exceptionally slow flow on the Thames and a mounting headwind. ==Route== The race follows the Kennet and Avon Canal for from Devizes through Pewsey, Hungerford and Newbury to Reading. From Reading the race follows the non-tidal River Thames for through Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Staines and Kingston before reaching the tidal River Thames at Teddington Lock. The tidal river is followed for the final through the western suburbs of London to Westminster. The 2008 race was the 60th anniversary of the event.〔 〕 The course requires competitors to portage their boats around 77 locks. Starting from Devizes, there are four locks before the Bruce tunnel, and another 31 locks before Newbury wharf, and the end of the first stage, is reached. Stage 2 contains 22 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal, before the junction with the River Thames is reached, and a further six locks on the Thames, before the stage ends above Marlow lock. Stage 3 includes 14 locks, ending below Teddington lock, while stage 4 contains a single lock at Richmond before the final on the tideway. Richmond lock is only operational at some states of the tide, and so a portage may be avoided if passage is made during a period of 2 hours either side of high tide.〔(Devizes To Westminster Rules, ''Advice to Competitors and Supporters'', Section F ), accessed 2 January 2009〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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