SOUTHAMPTON Institute official Magnus Milliner is this weekend taking part in the gruelling Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race.

Mulliner, the academic and development manager for Sport & Recreation at the Institute, is competing alongside ex-Maritme Studies student Andrew Coulson.

They are hoping the complete the non-stop event, which could take over 30 hours, to raise money for charity Children Today - For a Brighter Tomorrow.

The Devizes to Westminster race is referred to as 'The Canoeist's Everest', a 125-mile race which has run every Easter since 1948.

Starting at Devizes wharf, the route follows the Kennet and Avon canal for 54 miles to Reading, where it joins the Thames. Another 54 miles later it reaches Teddington Lock, ending 17 miles later at Westminster Bridge.

In all, theee are only 77 locks to carry the K2 (Kayak) over!

Mulliner and Coulson are competing in the Senior Doubles event. One third of all entries normally fail to finish, a figure which rose to half in 1998.

The pair completed the race in 1999 in just over 42 hours, despite the canoe capsizing three times and also missing the tide at Teddington.

Coulson has entered the event seven times but only completed it on three occasions.

Mulliner said: "Devizes to Westminster is the most demanding challenge I have ever experienced.

"If the cold doesn't give you hypothermia and your wrists don't swell so you don't recognise them from your elbow, it's a pretty enjoyable race."

The race's most famous survivor is the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Paddy Ashdown, who completed the race as a Royal Marine.

He remarked that this was surely the second most miserable Easter in history!

Other famous personalities to own a coveted DW medal are explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Rebecca Stephens, the first woman to climb Everest solo.