Great River Race
Encyclopedia
The Great River Race is an annual competition held on the River Thames
for any traditional-style coxed
boat propelled by oar
s or paddle
s.
The competition was started in 1988 and covers a 21 mile (34 km) course on the tidal Thames between Ham, London
and Greenwich
. It is usually held on a Saturday in September.
The rules stipulate that boats must be moved by oars or paddles and have a cox and a passenger (although both cox and passenger may alternate with rowers during the race). Up to 300 boats take part including Gigs
, Skiffs
, Celtic Longboats
, Cutters, Currach
s, Dragon Boat
s, Whaleboat
s and an assortment of novelty craft. Boats are handicapped by class to provide an overall competition as well as competitions by class. As handicapping is on a slowest-away first basis, this makes for a lively race.
The race attracts serious racers as well as leisure rowers, making it a water-based equivalent of the London Marathon
, and an interesting and colourful spectacle for the many who come to watch from the bridges and river banks. Every boat is required to carry a flag, and the prizes include one for fancy dress.
Since 2008, all crews taking part have been equipped with a GPS tracking system which allows both race organisers and members of the public to track the progress of competitors throughout the race by logging on to the Great River Race website.
The race is dependent on the tide and was originally rowed downstream on the outgoing tide. In 2009, the Great River Race was for the first time rowed upstream on an incoming tide. Competitors rowed from Docklands Sailing Club upstream to Ham Landing near Ham House.
The 2010 race takes place on Saturday 25th September, will once again be run upstream and will feature a challenge by a crew from ITN London News issued to their counterparts in BBC London News. The ITN crew are taking part in a C8 Canadian canoe while the BBC team will row a Thames Watermen's Cutter.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
for any traditional-style coxed
Coxswain (rowing)
In a crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow, steers the boat, and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.- Role :The role of a coxswain within a crew is to:...
boat propelled by oar
Oar
An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. Oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. The difference between oars and paddles are that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by...
s or paddle
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
s.
The competition was started in 1988 and covers a 21 mile (34 km) course on the tidal Thames between Ham, London
Ham, London
Ham is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the River Thames.- Location :Its name derives from the Old English word Hamme meaning place in the bend in the river. Together with Petersham, Ham lies to the east of the bend in the river south of Richmond and north of Kingston...
and Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. It is usually held on a Saturday in September.
The rules stipulate that boats must be moved by oars or paddles and have a cox and a passenger (although both cox and passenger may alternate with rowers during the race). Up to 300 boats take part including Gigs
Cornish pilot gig
The Cornish pilot gig is a six-oared rowing boat, built of Cornish narrow leaf elm, long with a beam of four feet ten inches.It is recognised as one of the first shore-based lifeboats that went to vessels in distress, with recorded rescues going back as far as the late 17th century.The original...
, Skiffs
Thames skiff
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of Skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.-Construction of a skiff:...
, Celtic Longboats
Longboat
In the days of sailing ships, a vessel would carry several ship's boats for various uses. One would be a longboat, an open boat to be rowed by eight or ten oarsmen, two per thwart...
, Cutters, Currach
Currach
A Currach is a type of Irish boat with a wooden frame, over which animal skins or hides were once stretched, though now canvas is more usual. It is sometimes anglicised as "Curragh". The construction and design of the currach is unique to the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland, with variations in...
s, Dragon Boat
Dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...
s, Whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
s and an assortment of novelty craft. Boats are handicapped by class to provide an overall competition as well as competitions by class. As handicapping is on a slowest-away first basis, this makes for a lively race.
The race attracts serious racers as well as leisure rowers, making it a water-based equivalent of the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
, and an interesting and colourful spectacle for the many who come to watch from the bridges and river banks. Every boat is required to carry a flag, and the prizes include one for fancy dress.
Since 2008, all crews taking part have been equipped with a GPS tracking system which allows both race organisers and members of the public to track the progress of competitors throughout the race by logging on to the Great River Race website.
The race is dependent on the tide and was originally rowed downstream on the outgoing tide. In 2009, the Great River Race was for the first time rowed upstream on an incoming tide. Competitors rowed from Docklands Sailing Club upstream to Ham Landing near Ham House.
The 2010 race takes place on Saturday 25th September, will once again be run upstream and will feature a challenge by a crew from ITN London News issued to their counterparts in BBC London News. The ITN crew are taking part in a C8 Canadian canoe while the BBC team will row a Thames Watermen's Cutter.