Head of the River Race
Encyclopedia
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
race held annually on the River Thames
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,...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on the 4.25 mile (6.8 km) Championship Course
The Championship Course
The stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England is a well-established course for rowing races, most famously the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. It is often referred to as The Championship Course...
from Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
.
History
The race was founded by the rowing coach Steve FairbairnSteve Fairbairn
Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:...
who was a great believer in the importance of distance training over the winter ("Mileage makes champions" was a favourite phrase). He devised the race while coaching at Thames Rowing Club
Thames Rowing Club
Thames Rowing Club is a rowing club situated on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1860.-Club colours:Red, white and black in stripes, the white stripe lying between the red and black and being of half their width....
to encourage this form of training and raise the standard of winter training among London clubs.
There followed a meeting of the Captains of the Metropolitan Clubs, where the idea was received with great enthusiasm, and it was agreed that the first race would be held on Sunday December 12, 1926. Despite the choice of day, the race went ahead with 23 entries (21 started) at a cost of 5/- per crew.
"So far the ARA were slumbering in sweet ignorance of the horrible fact that racing was taking place on a Sunday. So the Committee bravely fixed Sunday, 27th March as the date for the second race, but the publicity the event had received had drawn the attention of the ARA and at a meeting of the committee on February 19th a letter was read from the ruling body pointing out that it might be necessary to alter the date of the race as the ARA might pass a resolution banning racing on Sundays... The Head of the River Committee agreed to abandon the December race and row one annual race in March or thereabouts on Saturday afternoons."
With the future of the race agreed, the number of entrants steadily rose:
- 1927 — 41 entries, all tideway crews (except two from Jesus College, CambridgeJesus College, CambridgeJesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
); - 1928 — 49 crews;
- 1929 — 60 crews;
- 1930 — 77 crews;
- 1936 — 127 crews;
- … up to 1939 — 154 crews.
There was no race in 1937 (there was no suitable tide on a Saturday and at that time organized competitive sport did not take place on Sundays) and none from 1940-45 inclusive due to the second world war. The event was restarted in 1946 (naturally starting with a smaller number of entrants - 71 crews) and has taken place annually ever since, with the exceptions of 2004 and 2007 when the race was cancelled due to bad weather, in the latter instance after most crews were on the river and 45 crews had started.
From 1979 onwards, due to the sheer volume of competitors and for reasons of safety on a relatively small area of river and riverside, the HORR Committee had at that point to impose a limit of 420 crews, which still exists today. The race is usually substantially oversubscribed.
Race format
The race is only open to men's eightsEight (rowing)
An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....
and is considered to be the peak of the head race
Head race
A head race is a time-trial competition in the sport of rowing, also known as crew to a few USA organizations. Head races are typically held in the fall and spring seasons. These events draw many athletes as well as observers...
season — attracting the top UK crews as well as foreign clubs. Composite crews, drawn from more than one club or institution, are not permitted.
The Championship Course
The Championship Course
The stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England is a well-established course for rowing races, most famously the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. It is often referred to as The Championship Course...
is that of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race but, unlike the Boat Race, the Head of the River Race is raced on an ebb tide from Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. The starting time for the race is different every year and depends on the tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
— the first crew (winner from the previous year) starts the race the next year. Start time is usually about 2 hours after high tide and crews start at about 10 second intervals.
The record time of 16 min 37 s was set in 1987 by the Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
National Squad.
The Race is usually held on the third or fourth Saturday in March each year, depending on tides and the date of the Boat Race. Usually the two events are held on separate days, although in 1987 and 1994, the Boat Race took place in the morning and the Head in the afternoon
Also raced over the same course are the Schools' Head of the River Race
Schools' Head of the River Race
The Schools' Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race organised by Westminster School, held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney....
(SHORR), organised by Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, the Head of the River Fours
Head of the River Fours
The Fuller's Head of the River Fours is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:...
(HOR4s) sponsored by Fuller's Brewery, the Women's Eights Head of the River Race
Women's Eights Head of the River Race
The Women's Eights Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney....
(WEHoRR), the Veterans' Head of the River Race
Veterans Head
The Vesta Veterans International Eights Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames over the Championship Course. The direction in which the event is raced changes from year to year, dependent on the time of the tides: some years it is raced from Mortlake to Putney...
organised by Vesta Rowing Club
Vesta Rowing Club
Vesta Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames in Putney, London, England. It was founded in 1870.Vesta organizes two head races every year; the Scullers Head and the Veterans Head.-Notable results:...
, The Veterans' Fours Head of the River and the Scullers Head
Scullers Head
The Scullers Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney, open to single scullers only.The Scullers Head was first raced in 1954 when it was won by John Marsden...
organised by Vesta Rowing Club
Vesta Rowing Club
Vesta Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames in Putney, London, England. It was founded in 1870.Vesta organizes two head races every year; the Scullers Head and the Veterans Head.-Notable results:...
. The Pairs Head is run over a shorter course from Chiswick Bridge
Chiswick Bridge
Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on...
to Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge
Hammersmith Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in west London, just south of the Hammersmith town centre area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side of the river. It allows road traffic and pedestrians to cross to Barnes on the south side of the river...
. The Veterans' HOR and Pairs HOR sometimes race in the reverse direction if tides do not permit the usual arrangement.
Trophies
A number of trophies are awarded for the fastest crews under different categories:- Head of the River — a Bust of Steve Fairbairn, Head pennant plaque and Medals are awarded to the club whose crew returns the fastest time.
- Vernon Trophy — Presented in memory of the late Karl VernonKarl VernonKarl Vernon , sometimes known by his nickname The Bean was a British rower and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.-Life:Vernon was born in Neuenahr, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany...
, the trophy was given to the Head by Vernon in 1954 and is made from the melted-down silver of trophies he won in his own racing career. The trophy is a statuette of the oarsman Jack BeresfordJack BeresfordJack Beresford, CBE, was a British rower who won medals at five Olympic Games in succession, an Olympic record in rowing, which has since been tied by Steven Redgrave.-Early life:...
(five-time OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medallist). Awarded to the fastest club crew normally rowing on the Thames Tideway (between Teddington LockTeddington LockTeddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames in England at Ham in the western suburbs of London. The lock is on the southern Surrey side of the river....
and the mouth of the Thames). - Page Trophy — Presented by the Head of the River Committee in memory of the late J.H. Page and awarded to the fastest club crew (excluding university, college or school crews) normally rowing on the Thames or its tributaries and ineligible for the Vernon Trophy.
- Jackson Trophy — The Trophy was instituted by members of Nottingham Britannia RCNottingham Rowing ClubNottingham Rowing Club is a rowing club in West Bridgford, Nottingham.The club was formed in 2006 as a merger of the Nottingham Boat Club and the Nottingham Britannia Rowing Club, two historic rowing clubs that were established in 1894 and 1869 respectively...
in 1950, as the prize for an annual "County Eights" event between NottinghamshireNottinghamshireNottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. In 1960 it was presented to The Head of the River Race as the trophy for Provincial Clubs; it was by then in the form of a mounted blade. The 2002 Race saw it won by Nottingham Britannia, who to mark the event, have now presented a replacement trophy, a late Victorian rose bowl. It is now awarded to the fastest British Rowing club crew (excluding university, college and school crews) ineligible for the Vernon or Page Trophies.
- Services Pennant — crews from Her Majesty's Armed ForcesBritish Armed ForcesThe British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
- Churcher Trophy — university crews of any standard
- Halladay Trophy — university crews at or below Intermediate 2 status
- Overseas Entrants Trophy — crews from overseas
"Club crews" refers to all British Rowing clubs except universities, colleges, and schools.
There are also pennants awarded to the fastest Senior, IM1, IM2, IM3, Novice (British Rowing status), and Lightweight crews.
Recent Head Crews
- 2011 - Leander Club
- 2010 - Molesey
- 2009 - Tideway Scullers School
- 2008 - Leander Club
- 2007 - Race abandoned (Cambridge University BC was fastest crew out of those that finished)
- 2006 - Leander Club
- 2005 - Leander Club
- 2004 - Race cancelled
- 2003 - Leander Club
- 2002 - Leander Club
- 2001 - Queen's Tower (Imperial College Alumni)
- 2000 - Queen's Tower (Imperial College Alumni)
- 1999 - Queen's Tower (Imperial College Alumni)
- 1998 - Leander Club