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 Needless to say these are NOT all checked and information can go out of date fast.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 [And MORE 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.
Head races in Poland
Warsaw Head International Rowing Regatta: a 4km race for eights on Vistula river in Warsaw. Usually takes place on the second or third weekend of June, between 30-60 crews from different countries participate. Both elite and master crews participate.
