Entries are now open for the 2026 British Rowing Masters Championships, taking place at Holme Pierrepont Country Park, Nottingham on 13-14 June. Last year’s British Rowing Masters Championships celebrated a record entry for the second year in a row, welcoming 939 crews from 128 clubs.

In 2025, entries were suspended ahead of the planned deadline for the first time due to reaching capacity so clubs are strongly encouraged to get their entries in (and paid) early to avoid disappointment!

New for 2026, the British Rowing Masters Championships will now host adaptive racing. Adaptive Single Sculls will race at Championship level for both Open and Women’s categories on the Sunday of the Championships.

The addition follows a record Para rowing entry at Henley Women’s Regatta in the Grosvenor Cup and a flurry of great adaptive finals at the ���Ĵ�ý Club Championships.

The British Rowing Masters Championships celebrates the very best of masters rowing across the UK, renewing rivalries and reigniting friendships. Masters rowers regularly travel from far and wide to attend the competition, including large numbers from Scotland as well as competitors from Ireland and Northern Ireland. It covers the broadest spectrum of ages welcoming rowers from 27 through to 80 year-olds.
One of the highlights from last year’s event came in the final of the Open Masters D Eights. Just 0.3 seconds separated the medallists as Kingston RC struck gold, 0.27 seconds ahead of Minvera Bath RC, who in turn were only 0.03 seconds quicker than one of several clubs from Ireland, Portora BC.

The schedule of events for the 2026 Championships is already live and can be found here.

 

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After last year’s record entry, combined with great competition across every age band, and the usual lively, inclusive masters atmosphere, this is not one to miss! Entry secretaries are reminded to pay their entries as soon as possible to lock in their places.

Entries for the 2026 British Rowing Masters Championships are now open on BROE. We can’t wait to see you there.

Enter Now

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Thames Upriver’s historic wins at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta (JIRR) have made the exceptional, expected. The team has finished on top of the overall table every time in the nine years the competition has run since 2014, with the exception of 2017, where the victory went to Thames London. They’ve seen consistent wins across the Boys and Girls overall trophies too, winning six out of nine in both categories.

“I am sure all three teams will compete strongly and I am excited to see how this development works out.” – Mark Wilkinson, Team Manager for the three Thames Upriver teams

For many, including past Olympic rowers, the Junior Inter Regional Regatta is the first step on a path that leads to international representation. Young athletes from across England, Scotland and Wales race not only for individual clubs, but also as a team representing their region. Competition is fierce, support from the banks is strong and every point gained counts. A consistent performance across the board is just as important as a gold medal.

This year, Thames Upriver is splitting into three separate teams; Thames Upriver Central, Thames Upriver East and Thames Upriver West. The Junior Inter Regional Regatta welcomed Scotland as a new team for the first time in 2024, bringing the regions from twelve to thirteen. Last year, Thames London was split into Thames London and Thames London West. This latest change gives the competition 16 individual teams vying for the various trophies, including Overall, Boys, Girls, Single Sculls and the Martin Humphrys Cup for highest ranked team from last year’s 7-14th placings.

Thames Upriver collect the Victores Ludorum Trophy at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta 2025. Credit: AllMarkOne

26 events will be raced at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta, taking place on Saturday, 25 April 2026 at Holme Pierrepont Country Park, Nottingham. Most events allow one entry per region, with the exception of the single sculling boat classes, which allow two. There is also racing for adaptive competitors, which has seen entries grow every year. Splitting Thames Upriver, one of the largest British Rowing regions, allows up to 52 more crews of young athletes the chance to compete.

With 96 places up for grabs across the Thames Upriver region, selections took place  at Dorney Lake on 6 March 2026. Four divisions of racing contained 165 races with 20 clubs putting themselves up for selection Those races will be the last time the three teams’ clubs compete against each other – soon, they’ll be heading to Nottingham in three different shades of blue, ready to race as a combined force.

Mark Wilkinson is Team Manager for all three Thames Upriver teams. “With the sub division of Thames Upriver there was a degree of anticipation in heading to Dorney Lake for the trials, which were amalgamated together back in March. The trial was extremely well attended and a great days racing was had by all, and it was excellent to form three strong Thames Upriver teams to head to Nottingham for the Junior Inter Regional Regatta in April. I am sure all three teams will compete strongly and I am excited to see how this development works out.”

Thames Upriver’s victories over the last twelve years have been consistent, and whether this latest change shakes their firm grip on the Victor Ludorum will be down to the day’s racing. One thing is for certain; the Junior Inter Regional Regatta is unique as an event which brings so many clubs together under regional and team banners, and two more teams on the start line means a whole new set of supporters ready to cheer their crews across the finish line.

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In 2024, a little bit of history was made as Scotland raced in the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta for the very first time. Since that first stroke, Scotland has been a force to be reckoned with. In their first year racing, the team was third in the Girls Victor Ludorum, and last year they took 76 athletes to Nottingham and returned north of the border with the Margaret Marshall Cup, while strong single sculling results secured the Barbara Wilson Cup.

Across last year’s regatta, Team Scotland earned nine medals (four gold, two silver, and three bronze) won across six clubs, reflecting the depth of talent throughout Scottish junior rowing.

Now looking forward to the team’s third year of competition, Co-Team Manager Cara O’Donnell is excited about what 2026 holds for Scotland’s juniors.

“I’m really looking forward to the atmosphere,” said O’Donnell, who works as Scottish Rowing’s Sports Programme Co-ordinator.

“All teams go to Nottingham with the hopes of winning trophies and doing really well, but from my perspective, it’s about the experience for the young athletes and letting them enjoy it.

“It’s about the atmosphere; it’s about seeing everybody come together, which is really good. It’s nice to see the athletes from different clubs come together and develop those relationships and the same can be said for the parents. The reality is that all of them will be rowing together for the next couple of years and will get to know each other even more. We enjoy getting trophies, winning races and racking up points, but at the end of the day, it’s the experience that is the more important side of things.”

Scottish Rowing plays a vital part in the development of athletes and coaches. Throughout everything the organisation does, there is a real ‘Team Scotland’ mantra, and this all kicks off when the J14s, J15s, and J16s go and compete for their region at the National Water Sports Centre.

“It’s been really good for us to kick-start our Pathways. We have our Junior Academy, and we’ve just opened up our Junior Beach Sprint Academy, so it helps us see the younger athletes as they come through and help them develop.

“Quite a few of the ones we are working with at the Junior Academy level have raced JIRR as J15s and J16s. There are a few of them racing at HORR this weekend who did JIRR as J14s so it’s really given them that boost up into our Performance Pathways.

“The mantra is across our Pathways and everything that we do. That’s from our work with beginners right the way through to HIR and Commonwealth selections. It’s a really good first Team Scotland experience for a lot of the juniors when they race JIRR,” explained O’Donnell.

Like all regions, preparation starts well in advance of the regatta in April. For O’Donnell and Scottish Rowing’s Head of Performance, Tom Young, the major selection race takes place at the beginning of March.

“We spoke with Inverness RC and partially commandeered some of Winter Head. We gather people’s interest and registration for the event, and we use it as a basis for selections. We can’t see everyone in all boat types but it allows us to see where everyone sits.

“Once the event has happened, Tom, Mike Martin, and I will sit down and look at who we’ve got for a provisional team, create a plan and send it off to club coaches for their thoughts and opinions because they know the athletes better than we do. We’ll work with the coaches to figure out who’s best to put where, and we’ll go from there.”

For O’Donnell and everyone involved across Scottish Rowing, one of the best things that has shone through from JIRR is the sense of community. As has been alluded to, it’s a brilliant opportunity for athletes to come together and bond, be that in composite crews or off the water.

“The coaches that we have in clubs and schools at the moment are fantastic. They are really keen to get people involved and to give them an opportunity to race with people across Scotland. Having the support from the coaches and clubs has been really important.

“Across the board, we’re seeing a lot of success for Scottish clubs at JIRR, the British Rowing Club Championships, Marlow Regatta, as well as Henley Women’s and Henley Royal. I think seeing all these successes has also helped drive our junior athletes. As Team Manager, it’s great to see, but I can’t take any praise for that!

“It’s a very proud moment seeing them race, but it’s got absolutely nothing to do with me! It’s all very much on the coaches and the athletes; they’re the ones putting the work in, and I’ve just done some admin in the background. It’s very much their success and their performances, and it’s their hard graft throughout the year.”

Team Scotland and the 15 other regions will be in action at the 2026 Junior In-Regional Regatta taking place Saturday 25 April at the National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham.

Learn more about this year’s event here.

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Last year British Rowing hosted their largest ever Beach Sprint Championships with the number of competitors over 175% higher than the previous year. This year is set to be even bigger, as the event expands into a third  day from 4 – 6 September 2026. The event, supported by Swift Racing UK, will take place on Bournemouth beach.

Creating additional capacity

In order to increase capacity, the 2026 British Rowing Championships will commence on the afternoon of Friday 4th September with time trials for a block of boat classes with knockout rounds taking place on the Saturday morning. Time trials for the second block will be held on Saturday afternoon with the knockouts on Sunday.

Winners of Student 1x to win BUCS medals

With the student solos continuing to grow, we are very pleased to say that, working with British & Universities Colleges Sport (BUCS), the winners will be awarded BUCS medals this year as part of a pilot for potential further expansion in future years.

The return of the Mixed Quads

Last year some of the most exciting races were the Mixed Quads, which will return again in 2026. Whilst crews may enter these categories as normal, the event will once again be offering the opportunity for individuals to enter a “seat” in a crew – giving even more opportunity for people to take part. Last year’s racing saw a mix of people trying coastal sculling for the first time up to World Champions taking part, and provided thrilling racing to end each day.

How can I get involved in coastal sculling?

If you’ve never tried beach sprint rowing before, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in this ever-growing, fast-paced racing format, including the Four Nations Coastal Sculling Series and the British Rowing Beach Sprint Championships.

find out more about coastal sculling

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On Sunday, 1 February, over 300 club leaders gathered at the first ever British Rowing Club Leader Conference. With a programme full of learnings gleaned from other sports, reflections on progress made and looking towards a brighter future, here are five key reflections from the day.

 Success is about impact, not just outputs

Dr Cath Bishop’s keynote speech was underpinned with important questions for clubs and their leaders to ask themselves. Who is in the pictures on your club walls? What stories do you tell again and again, and how does that shape your legacy?

The social value of the sport was given the spotlight this weekend, looking beyond medals, members and money. Club leaders were asked to imagine what they would notice if they were walking into their club for the first time, and what lasting impact those things might have on their members’ experience in the sport.

Incoming British Rowing CEO Tom Solesbury opened and closed the Conference with a message of thanks to those who give their time to the running of their clubs day in and day out, and a promise to work alongside them. “Together, we can harness the power of rowing to change lives.”

Culture is everything

Clubs are the gateway to inclusion in rowing, and everyday environment shapes whether people feel welcomed and valued. What clubs reward, tolerate and prioritise defines the experiences of the rowing community. This message was particularly impactful for Isabella Bryant, Social Secretary at Bath Spa University RC.

“I’ve found it really interesting to learn about how community and culture works and how we can integrate that more into our club. When we get back to the club we’re gonna have a meeting and we’re gonna work together on culture…really trying to get the feeling right.”

Volunteers are capacity, not extra help

True sustainability is built once hidden skills are unlocked. Derby Rowing Club’s Martha Nutkins raised the dangers of relying on one single point of failure – in this case Josh Rhodes-Hook, a dedicated volunteer at the club who took on the roles of boatman, handyman, parent liaison, club rowing safety advisor and rowing community leader, all at the same time. Whilst Josh still goes above and beyond for the club, Derby have restructured their club roles to allow Josh to focus on his passion for coaching, and others to develop their knowledge and step up to positions of responsibility.

‘Unlocking capacity’, a session chaired by Miriam Luke MBE, made it clear that sustainable clubs unlock hidden skills through clear, time-bound roles and systems that reduce reliance on a few individuals.

Double Olympian and Junior Head Coach John Collins reflected on volunteers’ impact on and importance to our sport. “Today has really opened my eyes up to a whole other aspect of running clubs that I hadn’t thought of before. I’ve been involved in rowing in a reasonably professional capacity, but it’s eye opening to be reminded of how much volunteers really support rowing.”

Adopting a learning mindset is critical

Being curious about other clubs and leadership methods to expand your idea of what is possible.

“You never stop learning” – Session Chair, Miriam Luke MBE

The British Rowing Club Leader Conference hosted a number of young leaders from rowing clubs across the country, shedding light on their experiences taking on responsibility from a young age. Young Leader Rebecca Stokes from Windermere Rowing Club spoke about how Windermere has welcomed her into a role where she can influence positive change.

“I am the youngest person at my club here and it’s been quite an interesting experience to see how other clubs are doing things. Because I’m a young person leading a lot of older people, it can be quite a strange dynamic. But it’s been inspiring to see how many other clubs are trying to look at doing the same things. It’s not just us by ourselves looking at trying to get better.”

Rebecca also took learnings from the other panels to bring back to her lake. “Our club’s one of those clubs that always says we’re friendly and we’re full of culture. And our culture is really, really lovely. But maybe that’s something we need to look at closer if we want to be sustainable going forwards. I want people to go away realising that you have a lot of ability within your club, and it’s about finding out what knowledge people have and how you can use that. Not every scheme that every other club has is going to suit your club. So it’s finding out what you’ve got and how you can use that.”

Legacy means opening the doors wider

It was clear, with Young Leaders sitting on panels and case studies of young leadership shared throughout the day, that the future of rowing depends on including and trusting younger members. “Leaders don’t always arrive looking like the end goal,” said Dr. Nana Badu BEM, . He encouraged club leaders to be open to the value of learning from young people, as well as considering that cultural backgrounds have an impact on how people are able to engage with the sport for the first time. Understanding this better allows us to ensure everyone feels valued, and is more likely to make rowing the sport for them.

also spoke to unlocking youth expertise, and which leadership roles in clubs could be done by teenagers as young as thirteen.

James Bragg from Coaches Club works towards building the structures that allow people to contribute meaningfully to the running of a club. “I think the biggest key thing for me was the importance of growing your own workforce. Putting that time and effort into those young people and showing that you care. It’s about bringing through that next generation, because they’re the ones that are gonna inherit the club.”

“Putting thought to reimagining opportunities and building the sport with people, not for them, allows you to see everyone who walks through the door as potential,” said Coach Developer Tom Hartley, as he gave his closing reflections on the day. “ It’s about recognising that your future workforce is under your nose already. It’s really important to think about where you were 10 years ago, and where you’d like to get in 10 years from now.”

What’s next?

Club leaders left the Conference with practical lessons to bring back to their clubs, as well as more questions to ask of themselves.

“The answer to all the questions we’ve been asked today is in the room with us,” said Deputy Chair of British Rowing Clare Briegal, also representing Northwich RC. “The knowledge and expertise, it’s here amongst us and we’ve just got to capture it and share it.”

Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell, Director of Development at British Rowing, said: “It was really good to have everyone together in the same room at the British Rowing Club Leader Conference 2026. We were hoping for strong engagement, and to give club leaders the chance to network and share their experiences, and that was achieved across the day. We’re looking forward to building on this, so this is the start of the conversation, not the end.”

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Medal of Honour

Guin Batten

Guin Batten serves as Chair of World Rowing’s Coastal Rowing Commission and has been instrumental in developing beach sprints and coastal rowing as emerging disciplines. She was the driving force behind beach sprint rowing being added to the programme for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

Outside of her distinguished career as an athlete, Guin has served the sport in so many other ways. Guin led the Organising Committee of the Women’s Eights Head as Race Coordinator from 2010 through to 2023 and as a British Rowing umpire, who gained her multi-lane endorsement in 2018, is regularly seen officiating around the country.

Guin has also sat on the Management Committee of the Henley Royal Regatta, a position she held for over a decade before stepping down at the end of this year.

Medals of Merit

Nick Hubble

Nick started his rowing career in 1984 in Peterborough as a junior, and was a committed member of Peterborough City RC  for many years, holding the roles of Course Chairman, overseeing the strategic and day-to-day running of the 1k rowing lake there, Club Director and Race Committee Chairman of all events.

Nick has been an umpire since 1993 with a multi-lane endorsement since 2001. His other rowing commitments include a position on the National Umpiring Committee and the National Umpiring Appeals Panel.

Nick worked as a volunteer at the 2006 World Rowing Championships, served as a key member of the Organising Committees for the 2011 Junior World Championships, the rowing test event for the 2012 London Olympics and the 2013 Eton Dorney World Rowing Cup Regatta. He was a National Technical Official at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and can be found most weekends alongside some water somewhere in the UK where there is a rowing event.

Most recently, Nick has stepped down from the British Rowing Board, having offered his significant wisdom and expertise for seven years.

Michael Laing

Not only is Michael the foundation of St Leonards School BC, he has also been Chair of the Northern Rowing Council and is currently Chair of the Durham Regatta committee.

Michael started his lifelong involvement in St Leonards School BC and the sport in 1978 as part of a very successful junior crew. For the past 45 years he has made a huge voluntary contribution to the club. He is passionate about providing access to rowing to a wider group of participants, and particularly to young people.

Maggie Phillips

Maggie completed her 15-year tenure as volunteer Editor of the British Rowing Almanack (2011-2025) when the latest edition was published in March 2025. She also substantially supported the previous editor Keith Osborne  in producing the 2010 edition so that he could complete 50 years in the role.

Since taking over, Maggie transformed the accuracy and completeness of this essential permanent record of domestic and international results and the British Rowing Yearbook. This included the transition from ARA to British Rowing, the ongoing digital transition in data sources and publishing technology, and flexibly structuring a 2-year edition in 2022 following the pandemic. She also took many of the photos featured in past Almanacks, often alongside umpiring duties, providing much-appreciated coverage in the years before professional photographers did this. Compiling the Almanack is a mammoth task, which involved year-round work that swelled to being full time in the final two months before going to press.

Alan Sherman

Alan ‘Woody’ Sherman has had an impressive career, coxing elite crews in all the most important races in and beyond the UK, and won. A lot. In 2026 he will be celebrating 50 years since he coxed a Thames Tradesmen RC Eight to victory at Henley Royal Regatta in the Grand Challenge Cup and won the Prince Philip Challenge Cup with a Tradesmen Coxed Four, helping to put the club on the map and several crew members into Team GB. In the years to come, Woody would cox GB crews at World and European Championships as well as the Paralympics in Beijing in 2008, securing medals for the country of all metal types.

Woody stuck with Thames Tradesmen RC when times got hard. Today, the club is mainly a recreational club, taking part in Masters rowing events. Woody’s commitment and high standards are unchanged; he is still coaching both at Thames Tradesmen RC and at other clubs; not least University College London BC, where he has coached for 25 years. UCL’s Ian Bates credits Woody for having “quite literally taught thousands of students and brought them into our community of rowing.”

Lifetime Achievement Award

Chris Morell MBE

Chris Morrell MBE has dedicated his life to developing young people through sport. 2025 represents a whopping 50 years of service to the The Windsor Boys’ School BC. Chris is known as ‘the godfather’ of WBSBC, having inspired countless students to take up rowing and achieve success at every level.

As a dedicated teacher and mentor, Chris has always seen sport as a powerful vehicle for education. His ability to inspire students to strive for excellence on the water, on the field, and in the classroom has changed countless lives. Former pupils often credit him with helping them find confidence, purpose, and lifelong friendships through sport.

Awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2011 for his services to youth sport and education, Chris’ recognition is richly deserved. Yet his greatest legacy lies in the community he built and the lives he transformed. His dedication, humility, and unwavering belief in the potential of every student embody the very spirit of British Rowing.

Mike Pugh

Mike has been rowing since childhood and still displays endless enthusiasm for all aspects of the sport.

He played a role in re-establishing the Lancaster Regatta and the Head of the Lune races which are now ‘go to’ events for North West rowers.

On 5 December 2015 Storm Desmond wrought havoc in the North of England.  As Chair of Lancaster John O’Gaunt RC, Mike oversaw both the immediate cleanup operations and managed the recovery plan. Rowing restarted within a few weeks but it took till the next summer before the club was back to normal. Mike led on the decision to install a series of removable temporary flood barriers.

2017 was the 175th anniversary of the founding of the club. Mike led the organisation of the club’s celebratory events & arranged a ‘row past’ at Henley Royal Regatta. Still as Chair of JOG Mike oversaw and helped keep the club going during the COVID19 pandemic.

Richard Sinnott

Richard was one of the founding members and the first ever Captain of Warrington Rowing Club, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026. Since then, he has dedicated his life to volunteering with the club.

Richard has enjoyed great success with coaching and has been directly involved in coaching numerous rowers who have rowed for GB and also several Olympians including Ric Egington and Lucy Glover.

Richard was a founding member and the real driving force behind , a charity initially based out of Warrington Rowing Club when it first started in 2016, which now serves six locations in the North West with further plans to expand.

Not only does Richard support the students within the programme and the club, but he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Liverpool John Moores University in 2024 for his role in providing placement opportunities for the University students at the rowing club, allowing them to hone their skills in Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning and Sports Science with the squads that he continues to coach alongside his very busy role within the charity.

The British Rowing Awards 2025 winners have been published! Find out who won here.

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Rowers love their data and they love their numbers. The British Rowing Indoor Championships was packed full of numbers. Let’s run you through some of the best ones.

4

Four World Records were smashed at BRIC 2025, two of which were broken by Edward Owen-Smith of Stratford-upon-Avon BC. He broke the 13-14 500m and 1 minute with a time of 1:34.2 and a distance of 319m. Outstanding. Jeremy Martin took 0.6s off the masters Open 75-79 200m World Record while Vár Guriardóttir Hansen broke her own 1 minute World Record, travelling 366m in the 60s.

Credit:AllMarkOne

71

Across the two days of racing, 71 British Championship records were broken. This included records from just about every time and distance that was raced over last weekend. John Porter broke one of the longest standing Championship Records. His time of 9:03.3 broke the record in the Masters 85-89 Open 2000m that had been standing since 2015.

9

Nine new British Records were set at BRIC 2205.

6:39.8

Lauren Henry’s win in the Women’s 2000m was 0.2s quicker than her time last year. As a result, she broke her own Championship record. Henry smashed through the Sub 7 barrier along with 11 other members of the GB Rowing Team.

Credit: AllMarkOne

5:47.9

Just like the women, the men of the GB Rowing Team travelled to Birmingham to complete their 2000m tests. Tobias Schröder led the way, finishing in a time of 5:47.9. Archie Drummond also went sub 5:50 in a time of 5:49.3, while 14 others broke went quicker than six minutes.

1050 volunteer hours

A huge thank you to the 50 volunteers who gave up their time to ensure BRIC could happen. British Rowing is incredibly grateful for all of the support of volunteers at BRIC and other British Rowing events, thank you. Over the BRIC weekend there were more than 1050 volunteer hours worked to help the event run smoothly.

Credit: AllMarkOne

3000

More than 3000 race entries were submitted for 241 categories which took place over 82 races. Competitors came from 30 different countries to race at the NEC in Birmingham with the largest event being the masters 40-49 Open 2000m, with 96 entries. The oldest competitors were 90-years-old.

7

During the Open 100m, which Loïc Schalbetter won in just 12.7s, seven men went below 15s. In her demolition of the Women’s 100m, Hansen clocked 14.9s.

680

680 medals checked and double checked before presentations. Hundreds of gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to competitors. Countless unforgettable podium celebrations.

Credit: AllMarkOne

11:23.9

The new record for the Adult Mixed 4000m Relay. What a quartet it was that came together for this. Tug Hard II: Tug Harder was formed of Elizabeth Gilmore, Rachel Fisher, Frazer Brent, and Chris Scott. The Adult Open 4000m Relay record still stands from 2018, set by Cam Nichol and his RowingWOD Black team in a time of 10:09.8. Erg Power Series, who set the Women’s record last year were seven seconds off their own record which they set last year.

2026

Entries are now open for the 2026 edition of the British Rowing Indoor Championships. We can’t wait to see you back at the NEC in Birmingham 5-6 December next year.

The post The numbers behind the British Rowing Indoor Championships 2025 appeared first on British Rowing.

The curtain closes on spine-tingling Super Sprint Sunday. Day two of the British Rowing Indoor Championships was nothing short of exhilarating ecstasy as the finest sprinters from across the British Isles lined up alongside the rest of the world.

Vár Guriardóttir Hansen stole the honours with her demolition job in the Women’s 1-minute. Her distance of 366m broke her own World Record set earlier this year, reinforcing her position as the fastest female sprinter in the world. If there was any more evidence required to build this case, it came in the rest of the day’s action. Wins in the 250m, 100m, and yesterday’s triumph in the 500m solidify her status as the Queen of the British Rowing Indoor Championships 2025.

Speaking after her golden day, the World Record holder said, “To go sub 15s in the 100m with a race start is really big for me, it’s a big racing PB.

“The 1 minute is actually a tie from a piece last weekend, but this time was a race start, and the erg moved, so I think I can move the World Record a little bit more. I’m really proud; it’s been a big year. I just started rowing again a year ago, and the progress has been crazy. I’m looking forward to the 1 minute again at Worlds and BRIC again!”

 

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If Hansen wears the crown, then joining her in the Royal Court of women’s sprinting is Johanna Av Steinum. The Faroe Islands athlete won the Masters 1 Women’s 1 minute, 250m, and 100m across the day.

Every Queen must have a King, but across Super Sprint Sunday, many laid claims to this title. In the Open 1000m, Swedish sprinter Anders Edquist clung on for dear life as Freddie Stuart launched an almighty attack in the last 20 strokes of the race. However, the Newcastle University graduate would settle for second place behind the Swede, who only bought a rowing machine last year.

The greatest claim of the day came from Loïc Schalbetter. Step forward, the Swiss prince. The World Record holder in the 100m orchestrated one of his best days on the erg, winning the Open 250m and his signature speciality, the 100m.

Schalbetter stormed the 250m. In a time of 33.6s, he beat 500m and 1000m World Record holder Phil Clapp by 0.2s, while Frazer Brent was third, in 34s.

The 100m felt like a homecoming, his crescendo after a statement season. Schalbetter was the only man under the 13s barrier, but a magnificent seven went under 15s, as many of the field expected.

The Masters 1 Open 250m was even more dramatic. David Rackstraw and Josh Flood were locked in combat throughout their grudge match, and at the finish line, the two were inseparable, both clocking 35.5s. When it came to the 100m, no one would touch Rackstraw, finishing in just 14 seconds to take the gold medal.

The Masters were imperious throughout the day, dogfighting with each other across the distances. The Masters 2 Open 1 minute was won by Philip Lowery of The Diamonds Over Sixties Erging Group in a phenomenal field. Lowery won by just one metre against one of the greats, the Norwegian Ole Kristian Karlsen.

“I missed BRIC last year because I was ill, and to beat Ole is some achievement; he’s a machine. I’m a sprinter. 500m is too long. I have the World Record for the 100m, so this was a lovely distance for me, but goodness me, it felt too long as well!”

Lowery also won the Masters 2 Open 100m, beating triple World Record holder Tim Clarke in the process.

Crowds also got to witness the great Elizabeth Gilmore doing what she does best. The American, who would not be out of place on indoor rowing’s Mount Rushmore, opened the day with a win in the Women’s 1000m, to go with her Masters 40-49 Women’s 2000m and 500m title won 24 hours earlier.

This year, Super Sprint Sunday hosted the relay events. As time ticked down to these awesome displays of strength and strategy, there was an electric atmosphere buzzing around the arena that had witnessed so much greatness already.

The beacons were lit, and the indoor rowing gods assembled some of earth’s mightiest indoor rowing heroes. Talks of records echoed around the race floor, especially as Erg Power Series, last year’s winners who famously beat the GB Rowing Team, returned. Hungry to beat their own record from 12 months ago. The team of Gilmore, Tereza Horejsova, Anna Kuoppala, and Rachel Fisher were imperious as they dominated the women’s event, going back-to-back in the event. How many wins are required for a dynasty? Perhaps we’ll be asking that question next year.

From stroke one, the Open 4000m was only going to one team. The four fastest men in the 250m earlier in the day, Schalbetter, Clapp, Brent, and Weaver, led from start to finish. At the end, their team, Torque Is Cheap, were only eight seconds of the British Championship record that dates back to 2018.

Reflecting on the Relay win and his mesmerising win in the 100m, Schalbetter said, “I’m most proud of the 100m because it’s so close to my PB and World Record. I did 12.7s, and my best is 12.5. Normally, the race system takes a lot in terms of time, and because the 100m is so short, the fact that I was able to get so close to my PB is really promising, and I’m very happy.

“The relay is the cool part of the sport. It can be a little bit lonely as most people just train at home, and it’s you versus the machine. To be able to work in a team setting makes it more fun. I’’ be here at BRIC every year.”

Earlier in the day, Gilmore teamed up with Fisher, Brent, and Chris Scott to form the unstoppable Tug Hard II: Tug Harder relay team. Last year, Agecroft RC set a new Championship record, but this year’s all-star team clocked 11:23.9, going nearly 10 seconds quicker over the 4000m effort.

Fisher and Gilmore were back in action for The Chase. The two teamed up to win the Female Pair category.

While waiting for her relay gold medal, Rachel Fisher said, “Tereza and Anna are seasoned relay athletes, so Elizabeth and I are very lucky that while we bring our own credentials to the race, we’re lucky to have the two of them advising us with the transitions where we know you can win or lose a lot of time.

“It was fantastic. We were really disappointed that we didn’t get to challenge the GB Rowing Team again, that would have been the icing on the cake of BRIC 2025, I think. We had some really good competition fielded, and we also had last year’s time to aim for, which we didn’t quite hit, but a pretty respectable performance, I think, by all of us.

“The Chase was really messy, and I was lucky to have a great partner. We certainly lacked Anna and Tereza’s experience on the transitions!”

In The Chase, the challenge is to stay ahead of a pace boat that gradually speeds up every 20 seconds for 6 minutes. If the boat catches you, you’re out of the race, and your result will be based on your distance covered.

In the Open Adaptive Chase, Damon Cripps shone bright. This was a recurring theme across every one of his races today, after the Worcester RC athlete was fourth in yesterday’s IAR7 Open 2000m.

Cripps clocked 15.7s to win the Adaptive Open 100m while Invictus Games athlete Stacey Denyer won both the Adaptive Women’s 100m and 250m. Alongside her silver and gold medals from yesterday’s PR3 Women’s 2000m and 1 minute, respectively, it’s been a weekend to remember for the Team Oarsome rower.

Once again, the juniors were indomitable. Molesey BC had a frecious start to the day, winning both the Junior 1 Girls and Open 1000m. Evelyn Duncombe and Lucas Fleming were the stars of the show, with Molesey BC also winning the silver medal in the Girls’ event in the form of Maddie Moffatt. the energy continued right to the end of of proceedings as they were first and second in the Boys 8 minute Relay.

Fleming would be in action in the shortest event of the day. He would have to settle for silver in the 100m behind Maidstone Invicta RC’s Thomas Brearley, who won in 16.5s.

The fastest juniors inevitably came in the Junior 2 100m events. Vár Dánjalsdóttir Í Húsinum, representing KÍF Kappróður, went 18.2s in the Girls’ event while Michael Graham won the Open equivalent. His time, 14.5s, would have placed him seventh in the Open event. Chapeau.

The Kings School Worcester BC ‘Navy’ won the Mixed Relay, while Faroe Island rowers from Eysturoy, part of a phenomenal contingent from the Nordic region, won the Girls event.

Sunday’s racing ended the EXR Invitational. The event brought the EXR world to life on the big screen, welcoming competitors from around the world. Hundreds participated in Qualifiers, earning the right to be invited to the finals at BRIC.

Athletes raced over 5000m, and it was Olympic bronze medallist Holly Dunford who won the Women’s event, while World Rowing Indoor Champion Ward Lemmelijn dominated the Open event. Both athletes will return home with the top prize of £1000 from Birmingham.

Full Results

We already looking forward to returing to the NEC for the 2026 British Rowing Indoor Championships. Entries are now open!

The post Super Sprint Sunday delivers a World Record-breaking day of racing appeared first on British Rowing.

All sports have their grand arenas for heroes to showcase their talents. Stadiums, fields, and courses around the world are backdrops for masterpieces to be created, and the British Rowing Indoor Championships’ pantheon of performance anointed a new generation of champions.

Carving his name into the history books is Jeremy Martin. Racing in the Masters Open 75-79 2000m, he stormed into a lead that he held as he crossed the finish line. His time, 7:07.3 broke the previous World Record by 0.6s, a performance worthy of the gods. In the process, he also broke the previous British Record, held by Durham ARC’s Roger Stainforth.

This year, Stainforth was racing in the Masters Open 80-84 2000m, and much like previous outings at BRIC, he left with the gold medal.

Joining Martin in the pages of history is Stratford-upon-Avon BC’s Edward Owen Smith. He broke not one but two World Records, the 13-14 PR3-ID  500m and 1 minute with a time of 1:34.2 and a distance of 319m. Concept 2 have also verified that he holds the overall PR3 records for his age group. Outstanding.

In front of a raucous crowd, the 500m efforts saw noise levels tick up and up on the decibel meter. One of the standout performances came from Lakeland RC’s Samantha Ayers. The Brit set a new national record with a time of 1:43.5, 1.4s better than the previous best.

“It’s somewhat of a surprise, but it’s lovely to be able to do it in this atmosphere, and I’d love to thank everybody behind the scenes who put on all the hard work. A couple of weeks ago, I went slightly faster, but I’m now in an older age group so I’d like to beat my own record in a few months’ time,” said Ayers.

The Open 500m was a special showdown. Featuring some of the finest sprinters across the globe, this year’s crop was one of the finest vintages we’ve seen. World Record holder Phil Clapp clocked 1:12.2 to win, one second quicker than last year’s winning time. Anders Edquist also went below 1:13 to take silver, while 100m World Record holder Loïc Schalbetter took bronze in a time of 1:13.2.

For the Women’s event, Vár Guriardóttir Hansen proved why she is one of the queens of sprinting. After conquering BRIC 12 months ago, the 100m World Record holder went four seconds better than last year to lift the crown once more. Alexia Palmer won silver while Eva Barrellon-Kendall, who was second last year, was third.

This year’s BRIC allowed spectators to peek through the looking glass into life as a member of the GB Rowing Team. 21 men and 13 women made the pilgrimage north for their all-important December 2000m tests alongside some of the greats of indoor rowing.

Olympic Champion Lauren Henry won the Women’s 2000m for the second year in a row, breaking her own Championship Record in the process and sneaking under the 6:40 barrier with a time of 6:39.8. Becky Wilde, from the silver medal winning Women’s Quadruple Scull in Shanghai, took silver, while Olympic bronze medallist Lauren Irwin was third.

Speaking after the event, Henry said, “It probably gives me bragging rights, but beyond Monday, not so much! I didn’t actually realise it was a Championship Record until I was told afterwards, so I’m really pleased with that. It’s a big marker going through 6:40, and to that after five weeks of training back, I’m really pleased about that.”

In the Open 2000m, 16 athletes went below the six-minute wall. Leading the pack and winning in a time of 5:47.9 was Tobias Schröder, 1.4s ahead of Archie Drummond, with Callum Dixon rounding off the podium.

Across the Sixth Form races, Thomas Pakulis won the Boys 2000m, clocking 6:09.6, while Canford School BC’s Freya Coupe won the Girls 2000m in 7:09.7

“It’s really special. BRIC is a unique event for us, and it’s not every day you get to do an erg test in front of this kind of crowd. It felt very similar to being out on the water and doing a good race. I’ve never really had that feeling on the erg where you can see you’re ahead and moving through the middle. It gave me a lift and a bit of confidence through the middle,” said Schröder, who raced at his first Senior World Championships back in September.

The Adaptive racing provided some of the most memorable moments of the event. After winning the PR1 Open 2000m, just outside of his World Record time, Paralympic Champion Benjamin Pritchard galvanised the crowd as he roared on his fellow competitors in the PR2 Women’s 2000m.

In the IAR7 Open 2000m, Aidan Leverage won in a Championship Record time. This was the first of two 2000m events within an hour for Aidan, as he looks to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy Action UK.

“It’s amazing, and it’s so accessible, that’s what’s great about our sport,” said Pritchard.

“The indoor sport is super accessible, and BRIC shows you can row from a very young age to a much older age with any impairment. It was really important for me to get amongst the community of adaptive rowing and race with them. BRIC has had adaptive racing for a very long time, and it’s great to see it grow from strength to strength.”

More British Records have also been rewritten throughout the day. In the fifth race of the morning, Doncaster RC’s Val Jones set a new British Record in the Masters 75-79 Women 2000m, knocking more than 11s off the previous best, held since 2016.

In the Masters 65-69 Lwt Women 2000, Fiona Jamie can also say she is the best there ever has been in Britain after beating the previous record by upwards of five seconds.

Racing commenced with Toby Clay, current British Record holder in the half-marathon and 60 minutes, winning the Masters 50-54 Open 2000m. In the process, he beat last year’s winner Freid Eggum, into second place. Ulf Herzog, racing at his first ever BRIC, placed 11th in a field of 33 rowers.

Just one race later, the result was decided by the closest of margins. American Joey Wurtz showed his unbreakable spirit coming from more than five seconds down with 500m to go to win by 0.1s ahead of Team Oarsome’s Adrian Peel.

Those in the grandstand for the first wave of races were treated to a third peach of race on the bounce. Southampton Coalporters RC ‘s Kirsty Joisce went back-to-back in the Masters 50-54 Women 2000m, winning by four seconds. Following her was Helen Pearce, who won the Masters 60-64 Women 2000m on her first outing at BRIC.

During today’s racing, a medical emergency took place on the race floor. This resulted in a delay in racing. Our thoughts are with the competitor and their family. Thank you to our medical team, the emergency services and paramedics for their quick response and expert attention.

Full Results

The post World and British records obliterated at the British Rowing Indoor Championships 2025 appeared first on British Rowing.

We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a worldwide weekend of rowing from Massachusetts to Weybridge and everything in between!

British crews grab the headlines at 60th anniversary of the Head of The Charles

Every rower has bucket list of events they want to race at and for many of them, the Head of the Charles is right at the top. With a gorgeous backdrop of the Boston skyline and trees turning golden brown in the autumnal sunshine, crews weaved their way down the three-mile course starting at the Charles Basin by Boston University’s boathouse and passing under seven bridges on their way to the finish line.

2025 celebrated 60 years of this great race, welcoming 2685 crews from 852 clubs from all across the United States and further afield. The British crews were outstanding, flying home with half a dozen wins. In one of the most highly anticipated races, Cambridge University BC led off the Men’s Championship Eights field after their victory last year. Rob Baker’s boys were pushed hard all the way down the course by the best that the USA had to offer but the light blues were too strong, beating the IRA National Champions, The University of Washington, by just over 1.5s. Harvard University, racing on home water, were third with a crew that contained five Brits including cox Natalia Toms and Freshman Alp Karadogan.

Credit: AllMarkOne

The junior crews performed admirably on the third day of racing. St Paul’s School BC and The Windsor Boys’ School BC led off Men’s Youth Eights and Men’s Youth Coxed Quads, respectively. Bobby Thatcher’s programme have now won Men’s Youth Eights three years in a row after beating St Joseph’s Preparatory School from Philadelphia by 0.3s on Sunday. Not to be outdone, Mark Wilkinson’s lads laid down a huge gauntlet to the rest of the world also winning their third title in a row. After losing two athletes from the crew that won the Fawley Challenge Cup, The Windsor Boys’ School BC were 16.5s ahead of St Catharines from Canada while Tideway Scullers School were seventh.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Success continued for Tideway Scullers School with a strong performance from their Women’s Youth Double Scull. Kate Cohalan and Jessica Kerbiriou were one of four junior crews that Rhona MacCallum took to this year’s event and their 11.5s win ahead of Calgary is made even more impressive by the fact they started 33rd. TSS also raced in the Women’s Youth Coxed Quads. While they finished fourth, the event was won by Marlow RC, beating Los Gatos, winners at the US Youth National earlier this year, by seven seconds. The penultimate event of the weekend was the Director’s Challenge Parent/Child Doubles. Winning by only 0.54s was Molesey BC’s Tom and Joseph Middleton while Kevin and Ollie Plank from Stirling RC were third, one place ahead of Chris and Hugo Ware from City of Cambridge RC and King’s School Ely BC.

Monmouth RC sent a brilliant Coxed Four that raced on Saturday. The crew won Men’s Veteran Fours, beating Harvard’s alumni, Ex Nemo, by more than 10 seconds.

Speaking of Molesey BC, their Women’s Championship Eight made an almighty statement so early in the season. They placed second behind the US National Team, a crew made up of athletes who were all racing out in Shanghai a few weeks ago. Eight seconds back on Molesey BC were Oxford University BC. One year ago, the dark blues were trounced by Cambridge by some 29 seconds but this year’s result is rather different. Oxford were 22s up on their rivals, setting the stage for a fascinating build-up to next year’s Boat Race which will be broadcast on Channel 4. Leander Club’s women were given a one minute penalty but without the penalty, would have been significantly back on Molesey BC and the Oxbridge boats.

Much like their men, the Cambridge University BC alumni, racing as Crabtree BC had a huge amount of success. They climbed the rankings to second, having started in 43rd place. After colliding with Friends of Georgetown, Crabtree BC were left wondering what could have been as the Longhorn Legends crew took gold by just over six seconds. Crabtree BC also took second place in the Men’s Grand Master Fours and the Men’s Master/Senior Master Fours.

Headington School BC had a cracking start to the season, rising four places to finish second behind RowAmerica Rye, the defending Champions and back to back winners of US Youth Nationals. City of Cambridge RC’s Chris Ware had a busy weekend. On Friday he was second with Guy Blanchard of Rob Roy RC in the Men’s Grand Master Doubles, while Molesey BC picked up the bronze medal after a great row from Tom Middleton and David Gillard. On Saturday, Chris teamed up with his wife Kate to take the silver medal back to the Cam in the Directors’ Challenge Mixed Doubles. London RC were third in the Women’s Master/Senior Master Fours.

Ella McDougall marches on at Weybridge Silver Sculls

Hosted by Weybridge Rowing Club since 1956, the Weybridge Silver Sculls is the oldest sculling head on the non-tidal reaches of the Thames. Many famous scullers have won the trophy including Sir Steve Redgrave, Guy Pooley (four-times winner), Chris Baillieu, Dan Topolski and Tim Crooks. The event was expanded a few years ago to include Double Sculls and J14 Coxed Quads.

Ella McDougall of Barn Elms BC has continued her hot start to the season after being awarded the Bonnie Bird Trophy at the 2025 Weybridge Silver Sculls. The J18 sculler who was the fastest junior woman at Scullers Head ahead another trophy to her collection after winning over the 3300m upstream course by 22s. Mia Stephenson placed second on home water. The Houghton Cup will also travel to the tideway after it was won by Dasiy Wild of Mortlake Anglian and Alpha BC who placed first in the Women’s Masters D Single Scull.

The 2025 Silver Sculls were awarded to Alexander Didaskalou. The Leander Sculler has hit the ground running winning the Open Band1 Senior Single Sculls event and adds his name to a sensational roster of previous winners. Leander Club also won the Demerara Cup after Louis Sheasby won the Open J18 Single Scull, two seconds ahead of Alexander. The hat-trick of wins was completed by Alfie Webb who won the Open J17 event.

Mortlake Anglian and Alpha BC showed tremendous speed in the Double Sculls, not just the Single Sculls. Ramsden and Wild won the Women’s Masters D/E event and were the fastest women’s Double Scull of the dya, while the fasters junior women’s crew went to Walton RC who also produced the fastest junior men’s crew.

Weybridge RC rounded off a successful weekend, winning the Open Senior Double Sculls.

Check out last week’s results

• (Northern LDS series)

All roads lead to Fulham Reach BC: Ashley Ntumba’s coaching origins

Ahead of British Rowing’s Coaching Week, Fergus Mainland sat down with Ashley Ntumba to find out how her British Rowing Assistant Coach Training shaped her journey to coaching on the tideway

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Social Spotlight: Paralympic pathway gears up for Fours Head

Last weekend two PR3 classified quads were training in Nottingham for the Junior Fours Head and Fours Head. Our junior crew will take part in the first ever Junior Fours Head on 14 November!

 

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Seven wins for British crews in Boston appeared first on British Rowing.