Race Kickoff: Overnight Stays in Oxford and a Sprint to Danson
Rowing Events this Weekend: Oxford City Regatta and Danson Dashes
This weekend is shaping up to be an exciting time for rowing enthusiasts, as two major events are taking place. The Oxford City Regatta and the Danson Dashes will showcase some of the best rowers from various clubs across the UK.
Oxford City Regatta
The Oxford City Regatta, held on the River Isis, will span over two days, from Saturday, August 16th to Sunday, August 17th, 2025. The races will begin at 09:00 sharp on Saturday, with heats in the Open Single Sculls and Open Band 3 Eights. The Lunchtime Super-Sprint Eights events will also take place both days, offering a thrilling spectacle of competition. On Sunday, the distance will switch to 500m, with mixed crews racing in the Lunchtime Super-Sprint Eights, ensuring at least four women (excluding the cox) are included. A disco will be held in the bar of the City Boathouse between the two days of racing, providing an opportunity for rowers and spectators to unwind and celebrate the day's events.
Danson Dashes
The Danson Dashes, another highly anticipated event, will take place on Saturday, August 16th, 2025, in Danson Park. Although the exact schedule for the races has not been released, it is known that the regatta will feature one-on-one races over 1000m on Saturday and 500m on Sunday. The Danson Dashes was revived in 2018 by Erith RC and Gravesend RC and has since become a popular sprint regatta.
Participating Clubs
Plenty of clubs will have their juniors taking part in the Oxford City Regatta and Danson Dashes, including Walbrook RC, St Edward's Martyrs Boat Club, Medway Towns RC, Maidstone Invicta RC, Ardingly RC, and Gravesend RC. Walbrook RC has had a successful summer, winning medals at the British Rowing Club Championships and the VL and Staines Regatta.
Notable Races
In the Oxford City Regatta, Walbrook RC's successful juniors will be racing, while Fergus Mainland interviewed Cox Nikita Jacobs about his GB debut on The End of The Island Podcast. Gravesend RC's J17 sculler, 'Handock', will race Fairlop in the final of the Single Sculls at Danson Dashes. A local derby between Oxford ARC and Hertford College BC is scheduled for Saturday at 09:01. Several crews from Southampton University BC and City of Bristol BC will be in action in the Open Singles and Pairs.
The Danson Dashes will also see the return of the Lunchtime Super-Sprint Eights, with Open, Women's, and Mixed crews participating. The final of the Band 1 Mixed Eights will be a showdown between the students of Lady Margaret Hall BC and Gravesend RC. In the Open J14 Single Sculls, 'Lovell' gets a first round bye and will face Maidstone Invicta RC, while 'Qureshi' will have to navigate 'Maynard' of Fairlop RC if he is to progress. The first of the Eights races will occur later in the morning, with the Women's Coxless Fours semi-finals featuring a match between Lady Margaret Hall BC and Gravesend RC. Gravesend RC's Open Eight will race Bewl Bridge RC in the final race of the day at Danson Dashes.
Scottish Rowing Offshore & Beach Sprint Championships
Meanwhile, the Scottish Rowing Offshore & Beach Sprint Championships are happening this weekend, providing another exciting rowing event for fans to follow. More information about this event can be found online.
Finally, Great Britain rower Graeme Thomas is swapping his boat for trainers to take on the 43-mile Salmon Run on the 20th of September. He will be running alongside The Rivers Trust CEO, Mark Lloyd.
This weekend promises to be an action-packed time for rowing fans, with the Oxford City Regatta and Danson Dashes offering a variety of exciting races and matchups. Be sure to catch all the action!
[1] Oxford City Regatta: https://www.oxfordcityregatta.co.uk/ [3] Danson Dashes: https://www.dansondashes.co.uk/
Rowing sports will be the focus this weekend at two major events, the Oxford City Regatta and the Danson Dashes. The Oxford City Regatta, held on the River Isis, will feature various races from Saturday, August 16th to Sunday, August 17th, 2025, with one-on-one races over 1000m and 500m at the Danson Dashes on the same dates.
