A head race is a
time-trial competition in the sport of
rowing. Head races are typically held in the fall, winter and spring seasons. These events draw many athletes as well as observers. In this form of racing, rowers race against the clock where the crew or rower completing the course in the shortest time in their age, ability and boat-class category is deemed the winner.
Categories
Common categories of age may be high school and college-aged rowers as well as adults. Those over the age of 27 are typically referred to as "masters".
Common categories of ability may be:
* junior-varsity boys and girls
* varsity boys and girls
* novice women's and men's
* women's and men's among college-aged rowers
* novice, club, intermediate, elite and championship among masters-aged rowers; also differentiated by women and men.
Common categories of boat class may be:
*
1x: one rower with two oars, known as a
single sculler
*
2x: two rowers with two oars each, known as a
double scull
*
4x: four rowers with two oars each, known as a
quad scull
A quadruple sculling boat, often simply called a quad and abbreviated 4x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four people who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, or "sculls", one in each hand.
Rac ...
*
Coxless pair
A coxless pair is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars.
The crew consists of a pair of rowers, each having one oar, one on the stroke side (rower's right h ...
: Two rowers with one oar each (see
sweep rowing)
*
4+: Four rowers with one oar each and a
coxswain
*
8+: Eight rowers with one oar each and a coxswain
To minimize collisions, boats are started at 10 to 15 second intervals and are usually seeded so that the fastest start earlier.
Races
The length of most head races is usually between 4 km and 10 km. Among the most well-known are the
Head of the River Race that takes place each March on the river
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, United Kingdom,
the
Head of the Charles
The Head of the Charles Regatta, also known as HOCR, is a rowing head race held on the penultimate complete weekend of October (i.e., on the Friday that falls between the 16th and the 22nd of the month, and on the Saturday and Sunday immedia ...
race held each October on the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
, United States.,
and the 8 km
Head of the Yarra
The Head of the Yarra is a rowing regatta held on the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. It is a head race, with each crew having a separate start time. Organized by Hawthorn Rowing Club, it is the largest eights-only rowing event in Australia, a ...
race held each November on the
Yarra River
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia.
The lower stre ...
in
Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung–Taungurung language, Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the St ...
, Australia.
Other notable head races include the
Head of the Hooch
The Head of the Hooch Regatta, previously known as the Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta, is a 2-day rowing regatta held annually on the first full (Saturday and Sunday in the same month) weekend in November in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The head rac ...
, in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
,
[Compare Head of the Hooch's 1,938 entries. See ; with Head of the Fish's 2,028 entries. See ] the
Head of the Trent
The Head of the Trent is the annual rowing regatta and alumni homecoming held at Trent University. The name 'Head of the Trent' refers to activities taking place at both the regatta and the homecoming, including the head races, social events and ...
in
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
along the
Trent-Severn Waterway;
the Head of the Rideau in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, in March;
the
Head of the Lake
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not h ...
through the
Montlake Cut
The Montlake Cut is the easternmost section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which passes through the city of Seattle, linking Lake Washington to Puget Sound. It was completed in 1916 and is approximately long and wide. The center channel ...
in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
;
the
Fremont 4-Miler Fremont may refer to:
Places
In the United States:
*Fremont, California - largest city with the name
**Fremont station
**Fremont station (BART)
**Fremont Central Park
*Fremont, Yolo County, California
* Fremont, Illinois
*Fremont Center, Illinoi ...
also in Seattle, Washington (last held in 2007);
the 3 mile
Head of the Ohio
The Head of the Ohio, also known as HOTO, is a rowing race held on the first full weekend of October of each year on the Ohio River and Allegheny River, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The race is named the "Head" of the Ohio because it is a head ra ...
in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
held annually since 1986 along the
Forks of the Ohio
Point State Park (locally known as The Point) is a Pennsylvania state park on in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River.
Built on land acqu ...
River;
the 3 mile
Head of the Schuylkill in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
;
the
Head of the Fish
The Head Of The Fish Regatta is a rowing race held on the last weekend of October each year on Fish Creek, within Saratoga County, New York State. The race is named the "Head" of the Fish because it is a head race
A head race is a time-trial ...
in
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
.
In the Netherlands the best known Head race is the
Head of the River Amstel every year in March. Another, less well known Head race is the Eemhead, on the river
Eem
The Eem (; formerly the Amer) is a river in the central Netherlands with a length of approximately .
The river is fed by the Vallei Canal and a number of Veluwe creeks, the most important of which are the Heiligenberger Beek, the Barneveldse Beek ...
, which is rowed upstream the river and finishes at the boathouse of the organizing boat club, Hemus in
Amersfoort. An
indoor rower race inspired on the Head of the river Amstel is the Ergohead, organized every year in January by the Amsterdam boat club 'De Amstel'. Initially it was a race over 6 virtual kilometers, and from the second time it was a race during 20 minutes, and the winner is the competitor who 'rowed' the longest distance.
One of the longest head races is the 100 km
Ringvaart Regatta
The OC&C Ringvaart Regatta is a rowing race over the very long distance of . The D.S.R.V. Laga (a student rowing club in Delft) has organised the head race annually since 1976.
History
In 1976 the Laga club members celebrated their centennial. A ...
in the Netherlands.
References
{{reflist, 35em
Rowing competitions
Head races