Mayo man David delivers at the DW race for the second year running

David Horkan, a native of Ballina, has once again made history by taking second place at the Devizes to Westminster (DW) International Canoe Race alongside his paddling partner, 19-year-old Eavan O’Keeffe from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, who was participating in his first ever DW race.

David and Eavan broke the Irish record for the K2 (double kayak) finish, following in the footsteps of legendary Irish canoeists Jim Morrissey and Mick O’Meara, who set the record in 2003.

This year's success follows on from David’s win last year in the single K1 race on the same course, when he became the first ever Irish paddler to win the K1 race.

This ultra-marathon takes place every Easter weekend and this year celebrated 75 years since its inception in 1948. The race covers 125 miles non-stop, travelling down the Kennet and Avon Canal until it joins the River Thames at Reading and finishes at the County Hall steps just beyond Westminster Bridge in the heart of London.

The race includes numerous locks, with over 77 portages, so there is a considerable amount of running involved in addition to the arduous paddling.

This year's race presented an even greater challenge than usual, with high water levels and strong flow on the Thames river and tideway. Only 39 crews were deemed capable of paddling the river in flood at night from a field of 79.

David and Eavan set off at 4.10 p.m. after hours of precision planning and analysis of the optimum start time. This decision was risky, as it meant less daylight paddling, but it was key if they were going to deliver and hit the tide at Teddington at the exact right time and finally Westminster Bridge just after 8.30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

They Irish pair completed the 125 miles in 16 hours and 45 minutes – the fifth fastest time recorded this century.

Following the conclusion of the race, David said: “It was an incredibly tough but exciting battle through the night.”

Commenting the importance of their support team, David added: “A dream team! A massive thanks to my paddling partner Eavan and our whole team – Aileen Horkan, Elizabeth Murphy, Mary Horkan, John Morrissey and Joe O’Keeffe. Everyone played a blinder, from pacing to feeding. It literally takes a team to race the DW and it’s a full-on race for everyone.”