ThePaddlerUK 86
Lizzie Broughton and Keith Moule
won the 2015 Devizes Westminster International Canoe Race over Easter
becoming the first mixed crew to win the Senior Doubles class in the 67year history of the race, crossing the line in 16 hours 40 minutes and 31
seconds.
It’s a phenomenal individual achievement for Broughton who last year took silver in the
Marathon World Championships and is currently ranked number one in the International
Canoe Federation marathon rankings.
“I still can’t quite believe we won,” says Broughton in typically understated style. Broughton’s
achievement takes places in a year that saw another mixed crew finish third – pushed out of
second by just 24 seconds – and women in five of the top ten Senior Doubles boats. 2015 was
the year that women stamped their mark on DW – this year, the women did.
Rewriting the record book
Broughton, from Richmond Canoe Club, and Moule
from Chelmsford gave notice of their DW intentions
in early January winning the Frank Luzmore Race –
the first race of the year from Elmbridge to Richmond
– and continued to demonstrate their focus,
application and strategic planning by breaking records
throughout the DW build-up Waterside and
Thameside Races.
As Easter approached, Broughton and Moule’s build-up
turned DW fans and paddler pundits into weather
watchers in the hope that conditions would support a
fast time. For all the planning, the weather didn’t play ball.
“It was great to win,” says Moule who like Broughton is
in the Team GB Marathon Squad, “that was the main
target at the beginning of the winter.” Reminiscent of
Ivan Lawler and Ben Brown’s 2011 attempt to break
the 37-year course record, Broughton and Moule
shared their progress courtesy of YouTube. It’s a bold
crew that set out to win DW and break records. To
do it publicly lets more people enjoy the experience,
increasing support but also adding pressure.
The profile and pressure didn’t seem to matter, the
support all along the course was welcome: race
strategy and implementation went as planned
delivering a winning margin of 80 minutes.
DW commentators are unanimous in their praise for
the achievement. Before the race, course record
holder Brian Greenham wished them well for the
race, enthusing “they’re an incredible pair.” Long-time
DW observer Paul Ralph said the crew were, “looking
beautiful all the way down,” while Brian Greenaway of
Fowey Canoe Club and a DW veteran of many
decades commented that Broughton and Moule are,
“one of the fastest crews to ever do the race.” It’s the
second fastest winning DW time this century.
It’s testament to the crew’s calibre that people talk of
their achievement and records in the same breath.
Can the record be broken? Moule and Broughton
agree time can be taken off in small chunks, but it
would need a year with good flow to break the
record. Moule suggests that with a few more strong
crews competing in DW, [