British Army's Salty Sappers win Pacific version of the World's Toughest Row
A team from the Royal Engineers have finished first in the World's Toughest Row after spending more than five weeks on the open ocean.
The Salty Sappers posted on Instagram to say how the challenge, particularly towards the end, had been "incredibly intense with terrible weather conditions and plenty of tough times".
But they added: "Our hard work and constant strive for excellence have paid off for the win!"
"We now enjoy some time on dry land and will be back with you all after a good night's sleep!
"Thank you so much to all of our supporters and sponsors and we hope we’ve made you all incredibly proud!!"
The challenge sees teams start of in Monterey, California, and rowing a total of 2,800 miles to Hanalei Bay on Kaua'i island in Hawaii.
Major Adam Siggs, Captain Joshua Warne, Lance Corporal Richard Wilkinson and Corporal Adam Sedgwick completed the challenge in 36 days, six hours and 49m.
This meant they won by more than a day, with the second-placed team, another British team called Wild Waves, coming in with a time of 37 days, 11 hours and 43 minutes.
After their win had settled in, the Salty Sappers posted their official winning video on Instagram, stating they were still "in absolute awe" of what they'd achieved.
They added that they would "live off of this high for months to come".
The Salty Sappers were also raising money for the Royal Engineers Association, with a target of £25,000, having already raised £4,500.
The Sappers' win means British military teams have secured a double victory in the World's Toughest Row.
There are two versions of the race - Atlantic and Pacific - with the Salty Sappers having taken on the Pacific route.
In January, Royal Navy team HMS Oardacious won the Atlantic version of the race.
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