More Than Three Hundred and Thirty Crews Rowed Twenty One Miles Up the Thames in a Race That Starts With the Slowest Boats
Viking longboats, Cornish gigs, Chinese dragon boats and Thames skiffs passed under twenty eight bridges between Docklands and Ham.
More than 330 crews rowed 21.6 miles up the River Thames on 12 September 2026 in the Great River Race, from Millwall Riverside on Westferry Road in Docklands to Ham near Richmond, passing under twenty eight bridges.
The race is run as a handicap, and the odd part is the start. The slowest boats are sent off first and the fastest last, so whichever crew leads on the water is also leading on corrected time.
Entries must be traditional fixed-seat craft. The field takes in Thames skiffs, Cornish gigs, cutters, barges, Chinese dragon boats and Viking-style longboats, and mixes competitive club rowers with charity crews and entrants in fancy dress. Entries for 2026 closed with a waiting list.
The start time is set by the tide each year and was at about a quarter to one in the afternoon. The first boats were expected past Chiswick Pier at about a quarter to three, with crews continuing to pass for at least an hour afterwards. The fastest complete the course in around two hours and the slowest take up to four.
The race was founded in 1988 and is run as part of the Totally Thames festival. It is free to watch from any of the twenty eight bridges, from the towpaths or from riverside pubs, and a bridge-by-bridge timing schedule is published in advance.