Puddings and Pixies: Our Plum Pudding Races

Alex Mitchell
3 days ago
2 min read

What a way to wrap up the year! Today, the River Wye wasn't just filled with the usual training sessions but with tinsel, elves, and a surprising amount of polyester. The annual Plum Pudding Races returned in spectacular fashion, proving once again that Monmouth RC knows how to celebrate the holiday season just as hard as we train.

The Racing: Four Eights, One Winner

Despite the festive distractions, the competitive spirit was alive and well. We managed to field an impressive four Eights, with crews expertly mixed to include men and women of all ages—a great reflection of our growing membership.

The format was fast and furious: 800m sprints with two semi-finals and a high-stakes final. After some neck-and-neck rowing and more than a few "festive" splashes, Crew Vixen surged ahead to take the victory! A massive well done to the Vixen crew for keeping their rhythm while likely dodging reindeer ears.

The Real Competition: Fancy Dress!

While Crew Vixen took the honors on the water, the battle for Best Fancy Dress was arguably even more intense. We saw everything from full-body elven wear to Santas who definitely found their "Ho-Ho-Ho" in the boat.

However, the clear standout was Alex, who took home the prize with some truly incredible plum pudding makeup. It was a masterpiece of festive face paint that managed to stay (mostly) intact despite the exertion of the 800m course!

A Huge Thank You

Events like this don’t just happen by magic (even if there were several elves in the boats). A massive shout-out goes to:

The Rowing Captains & Tim: For the seamless organization of the racing and getting four Eights on the water.
The Members: For the absolute mountain of mince pies and cake that greeted us back at the club.

Getting together with a coffee and a mince pie was the perfect way to celebrate the end of another successful rowing year. Whether you won a race, won a prize for your costume, or just managed not to lose your hat in the river—well done to everyone!