THE Concept Two National Rowathon Series came to an exciting conclusion at Marlow Boat Club on Sunday.

The female series competition was to be decided on the outcome of the race with both Evesham's Michelle Parsons and Cambridge Tri Club's Collette O'Neill both able to clinch victory.

The final race was over an increased distance and the first of the three disciplines was a 4,000m row on an indoor machine.

Both girls set off at fast rates but soon settled into a good rhythm matching each other stroke for stroke. And, in the en it was the Cambridge athlete who rose from the ergo first with Parsons just ten seconds behind.

They both then sprinted to transition where they collected their bikes and on to the 25K bike undulating course. They remained evenly matched and kept the time gap almost the same entering transition some 46 minutes later.

It was the second transition where the Vale ace made her decisive move. Racking her bike quickest, she sped out of the area leaving her rival behind by a good distance.

Out on to the 7.5K run, Parsons had soon extended her lead convincingly and she was more than 45 seconds ahead at the finish recording the fastest female run split of the day.

Her prize for becoming the inaugural winner of the National Series was a new Concept Two rowing machine presented to her by Sir Steven Redgrave.