Rower sets British record

LEANDER Club athlete Joe Harper has achieved a British rowing record.

He completed a half-marathon, covering 21,907m, in one hour, 11 minutes and 33.5 seconds on an indoor rowing machine.

Harper shaved 23.8 seconds off the previous best time set by fellow GB rower George Bourne.

He said: “We have been given a little bit of free reign to focus on our individual weaknesses and try to make the most out of this strange period and come back to ready for a strong 2020/2021 season.

“I have always been quite strong over short distances and wanted to use this isolation period to develop my aerobic base and get some serious miles under my belt.

“About 10 minutes in I started to feel quite uncomfortable but the real challenge was having to endure that discomfort for another hour. When I had finished I realised my legs had more to give and wondered why I didn’t go harder.”