Festival assembles athletes of all standings

The 20th Annual Newport Autumn Rowing Festival brought crew teams from all over the West Coast into the Newport Aquatic Center in the Back Bay for the Sunday morning event.

Contenders from high school through Olympic standing, including college teams from UCLA, USC and Stanford, hit the waters in to complete the arduous 2.6 mile race through the Newport Harbor.

Participants traveled in from the East Coast as well to take a whack at the competition.

Crossing under the Lido Isle bridge hundreds of crews from single competitors to eight-man teams kicked things off at 7:45 a.m. to heading around the island, through the Newport Harbor basin, under the West Coast Highway bridge and finishing at the aquatic center.

Spectators gathered all over the race’s path, viewing the event from along the streets and the shoreline.

Families and participants gathered between races at the center for food and even a little shopping.

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— Kelly Strodl