ROTARY club members are training hard for a ‘Boat Race’ marathon to raise cash for sick newborns.

North Oxford Rotary Club has organised a “Rowathon” to raise money for the charity SSNAP, which supports sick and premature babies in the special care baby unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Some 15 teams from various Oxford companies will race on rowing machines at the Athlete Centre in Osney Mead.

And Rotary Club members will compete over the distance of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, just over four miles.

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John Cole, 68, selected SSNAP as his chosen charity in his year as President of the North Oxford Rotary Club.

Mr Cole, who lives in Headington, said: “I’m looking forward to taking part. Hopefully I’ll do okay on the day. I think we are hoping to raise about £5,000 for SSNAP, which would be fantastic.”

The experience of rowing ranges from professional to novice, with some Rotary members having never rowed in their lives.

Co-ordinator of the event Martin Cowell, 68, from Summertown, said: “I think it’s a fantastic charity to donate to.

“My son Alex was in there for two weeks in 1976 and he got better and now has two boys of his own.

“I’m yet to start formal training and I have never used a rowing machine before. It is exciting and a great cause to raise money for.”

“We have a lot of Oxford-based companies involved and it’s fantastic to raise funds for a local charity.”

Two teams of professional rowers, named Atlantic Quad and Pacific, will battle it out during the event on Saturday, March 21, as well as several corporate teams made up of Oxford businesses.

Teams from BrookStreet des Roches, Blake Morgan, Santander and Shaw Gibbs have signed up to take part.

Sophie Durand from the Athlete Centre, said: “It’s a great opportunity to be involved in the Rowathon to raise money for SSNAP.”

Co-founder of the Athlete Centre James Shields said: “We will hope to have 20 machines in the race.”