A rowing friend asked me if I had a list of all the head races in the world. I don't. There are a lot of head races - in the UK every club has a winter and a summer regatta and the winter ones are usually head races. She was looking for ideas of places where she could travel abroad to race.
So here's what I have gleaned from some web searching. Needless to say these are NOT all checked and information can go out of date fast.
Head races in Ireland
Upcoming head races
- Queen's Head Of The River: November 29, 2025
- Head Of The Shannon: December 6, 2025
- Muckross Head: December 6, 2025
- Muckross HOR Coastal: December 6, 2025
- Eventmaster HOR: December 19, 2025
- Shandon Head of the River: January 24, 2026
- Irish Indoor Rowing Championships: January 17, 2026
Recent past head races
- Erne Fours Head: November 8, 2025
- Dublin Head Of The River: October 25, 2025
- Castleconnell Head: October 25, 2025
Head races in UK
Major head races in the UK
- Head of the River Race (HORR): A large annual event for men's eights on the River Thames.
- Women's Eights Head of the River Race (WEHORR): A major event for women's eights on the River Thames.
- Schools' Head of the River Race: An event for school-aged rowers held on the Tideway section of the River Thames.
- The Fours Head: A large event featuring coxed and coxless fours, held on the River Thames.
- Veterans' Head of the River Race: An event for older rowers on the River Thames.
Other notable events
- North of England Head of the River Race: A large event held on the Tyne in Newcastle.
- Aberdeen Heads: A Scottish head race event held on the River Dee.
Head races in Canada
Notable head races
- Head of the Welland:
- Location: Welland, Ontario.
- Course: 5.3 kilometers on the Welland Recreational Canal.
- Details: Hosted by the South Niagara Rowing Club, it draws about 1,000 high school, university, and master rowers.
- Head of the Nicomekl:
- Location: South Surrey, British Columbia.
- Course: 6 kilometers down the Nicomekl River.
- Details: Hosted by the Nicomekl Rowing Club, it features a protected, flat-water course similar in length to the Head of the Charles.
- Head of the Trent:
- Location: Peterborough, Ontario.
- Course: 4.6 kilometers.
- Details: A popular fall head race hosted by the Hatchets Rowing Centre.
Head races in USA
Major head races
- Head of the Charles Regatta: Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this is the largest rowing event of its kind in the world, drawing thousands of competitors.
- Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (HOSR): Held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it is a large, two-day event on the Schuylkill River with both high-caliber and novice crews.
- Head of the Ohio: A head race in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Head of the Riverfront: Takes place in Hartford, Connecticut.
- Head of the Port: Held in West Sacramento, California.
- Occoquan Challenge: Located in Fairfax Station, Virginia.
- Head of the Estuary: Takes place in Oakland, California.
Head races in Australia
Key head races in Australia
- Head of the Yarra: Held in Melbourne, it is the largest eights regatta in the Southern Hemisphere and attracts crews from across Australia and New Zealand.
- Head of the River (AAGPS): This is a prestigious event that concludes the rowing season for Great Public Schools in New South Wales. It is held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre.
- Melbourne Head: Established in 2004, this event aims to be a significant race on par with the Head of the Charles regatta.
- Head of the Manning/Wilkes Shield: An event listed in the Rowing NSW regatta calendar.
- Head of the Clarence: Another race listed for December in the Rowing NSW calendar.
- Nepean Head: A series of head races that includes Nepean Head #1 on September 7th, 2025.
- Bill Beach Memorial Head: An event listed in the Rowing NSW regatta calendar for September 13th, 2025.
Head races in New Zealand
Key Head Races and Long-Distance Events
- Head of the Waikato River Race: This event is usually held at the end of September and involves a 7km course on Lake Karapiro and the Waikato River.
- Head of the Hātea Regatta: An inaugural event launched in 2025, this 14km (or 15km) timed head race for coxed boats takes place on the Hātea River in Whangārei, starting from the Town Basin.
- Head of the Taieri: Hosted by the Otago Rowing Club, this head race is generally held in September on the Taieri River.
- Whanganui River Races: The Whanganui River hosts several long-distance events, including the Tonks Small Boat Race and the Jury Cup, a 2k sprint event, which are part of the winter/spring series.
- Other Club Events: Various regional associations and clubs, such as the Marlborough Rowing Association and the Otago Rowing Association, hold their own long-distance and head-style races (e.g., Wairau Long Distance Race, Dunstan Long Distance Race) as part of their winter training and lead-up to the main summer regatta season.
Head races in Germany
Specific head races in Germany
- Rhine Marathon: A 26-mile (43 km) head race from Leverkusen to Düsseldorf on the Rhine river.
- Quer durch Berlin: A 7 km head race for eights and fours on the Spree river in Berlin.
- E. ON Hanse Canal Cup: An international event held in Rendsburg on a 12.7 km course.
Head races in the Netherlands
Major Rowing Head Races in the Netherlands
- Head of the River Amstel:
- Description: This is a major, traditional long-distance race and serves as the official opening event of the Dutch rowing season. It typically attracts 3,000-4,000 participants across various categories, including eights and coxed fours, masters, and mixed teams.
- Location: Raced over an 8 km course on the Amstel River, from Amsterdam to the town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.
- When: Annually in early to mid-March.
- More Info: Visit the Head of the River Amstel website for rules, registration, and schedules.
- Heineken Roeivierkamp:
- Description: A unique two-day event (or "four-camp" of races) that is one of the largest regattas in the Netherlands. Competitors row four different distances, with results calculated based on average 250m times across all races.
- Location: Also held on the Amstel River in Amsterdam.
- When: Takes place annually during the second or third weekend of March.
- More Info: Information can be found on the Heineken Roeivierkamp website.
- Dutch Skiffhead/Tweehead/Youth-head:
- Description: A traditional and iconic long-distance event for single sculls (Skiffhead), doubles (Tweehead), and junior events (Youth-head). It is a time trial that attracts top scullers.
- Location: Raced over a 7.5 km course on the Amstel River.
- When: Organized annually by the K.A.R. & Z.V. de Hoop rowing club.
- Ringvaart Regatta:
- Description: A renowned marathon rowing event over an exceptionally long distance of 100 kilometers (62 miles).
- Location: Organised by the D.S.R.V. Laga student rowing club in Delft.
- When: Held annually since 1976.
Head races in Italy
Major head races in Italy
- SilverSkiff:
- Location: Turin, Italy, on the Po River
- When: Annually in mid-November
- Type: 11km single-scull head race. It includes various categories, such as KinderSkiff for younger rowers and a vintage category for historic boats.
- Notable: Attracts top international and Olympic rowers.
- Lake Orta Challenge
- An event in early October for 1x and 8+
- 6km long around an island
- Torino International Winter Regatta:
- Location: Turin, Italy
- When: Specific date in winter 2025
- Type: A winter regatta on the Po River.
Other notable rowing events in Italy
- Vogalonga:
- Location: Venice, Italy
- When: Annually on the last Sunday in May
- Type: A long-distance (32km) rowing parade and not a timed head race.
- Regata Storica:
- Location: Venice, Italy
- When: The first Sunday in September
- Type: A traditional and historic regatta with a ceremonial procession of historic rowing boats. It is not a head race.
Head races in Argentina
Notable Argentine Head Races
- Regata Copa Kelo Piñeiro: This head race is hosted by the Club Remeros Escandinavos and typically occurs in March in Buenos Aires.
- Regata de travesia Copa Miguel Esteves: Hosted by the Buenos Aires Rowing Club, this event also takes place in Tigre, Buenos Aires, generally around May.
- Vuelta al Banquito de San Andres: This head race is held in Rosario, Santa Fé, and hosted by the Club Peña Nautica Bajada España.
- Copa Mono Villa: This is another head race that typically takes place in Tigre in October.
- Regata Vuelta al Mundo: Hosted by Club Remeros Alberdi in Rosario, this event is listed as an Open category race usually occurring late in the year.
