Remenham Challenge

Remenham Challenge 

Head of the river race for our founding clubs
Chiswick Pier to Black Buoy

  2026 Event

10am Saturday 19th December

Upcoming Race

THE ANNUAL REMENHAM CHALLENGE IS A HEAD OF THE RIVER RACE ORGANISED BY THE CLUB FOR CREWS FROM ALL SEVEN FOUNDING CLUBS.

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PREVIOUS RACE RESULTS

Committee

THE REMENHAM CHALLENGE IS RUN BY A COMMITTEE OF MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDING CLUBS

Entries

Entries will open 8th November and close on 10th December.


The Remenham Challenge is a British Rowing affiliated event and all entries must be made through the BROE2 system. Therefore all participants must be members of British Rowing but those entering Development may have Row membership rather than race membership. If you have any questions please email entries@remenhamclub.co.uk


General

The race will start at 10:00 from the walkway down to Chiswick Pier to the Black Buoy on Putney Embankment.  This is an open and women's eights and quads only event. The following categories are offered for eights:


· Championship

· Club

· Development

· Masters (mixed and composite crew entries welcome)


Quads are offered for Open, Women's and Mixed Masters competitors and Women's Championship only


Open and Women's 8+s will enter a single event and be split into two bands based on their crew ranking index after the close of entries: Championship and Club. We expect to put fewer crews in the Championship band.


Any crews containing winners of Henley Royal Regatta, Henley Women's Regatta (excluding the Development category), or British Rowing Championships from the last 5 years OR participated in any World Rowing Cup, World Rowing Championship, U23 or U19 Championships or similar level event in the last 8 years must enter Championship. These crews must state in the Notes field on BROE that they are required to enter Championship and on what grounds.


For the Development eights category, no athlete may race if they have qualified at HRR or qualified to race at elite, aspirational (previously intermediate), or J18 categories at HWR.


Masters Eights and Quads


Masters handicaps will be applied to the final times to determine the winning crews. Masters crews may be composites, mixed masters crews must enter the open masters category.


Junior Entries


There are no "junior" events offered. Junior crews are encouraged to enter their boats in the appropriate category for their level of experience. All competitors must be 16 years of age or older.



Category Caveats

Events with three or fewer entries will be run on a time only basis. There is a maximum number of crews for this race and, if the maximum is reached, eights  will be prioritised over quads and events with three or fewer entries may be cancelled.


Victor Ludorum


The Victor Ludorum winner will be calculated by awarding points to the top three placed crews in each eights category. The winner will received 3 points, the second place 2 points and the third place 1 point. The club with the most points will be awarded the Jonty Steel Victor Ludorum trophy. If the case of a tie, the club with the most wins will win the trophy. If the clubs remain equal they will share the trophy. Quad results will not be considered towards the Victor Ludorum


KEY INFORMATION 2026

  • Timings

    • 08:30 - Mandatory briefing for all coxes/coaches at Thames RC (numbers issued after). Note: coaches, all rigging and de-rigging of boats should take place on the Embankment or along by Leader Gardens.  Not on residential roads leading down to either.
    • 09:20 - Latest boating time (advisory)
    • 10:00 - Crews in division 1 start.  The starting line is the walkway down to Chiswick Pier.
    • 10:45 - Last crews in division 2 cross the finish line.  (Reminder the finish line is the Black Buoy at Putney Embankment) 
    • TBC - Prize giving at London RC

    Race numbers will be handed out after the mandatory coxes briefing.  All race numbers are to be handed back to an official before the boat is taken out of the water after the race.  A returns box will also be available.

  • Where to boat from?

    Crew changing facilities will be allocated in advance of the race.  Please see the draw to find out which club you are boating from.  


    Please note that all rigging and de-rigging of boats should take place on the Embankment or along by Leader Gardens.  Not on residential roads leading down to either.  Please respect the residents of these roads on the day of the race.  


    Queries may be directed to: entries@remenhamclub.co.uk.

  • Entry Fees

    The entry fee this year is £32 for both quads and eights. The payment should be made through BROE before the close of entries.

    The total costs of the Challenge are higher than will be brought in from the fees with the Remenham Club itself subsidising the balance of the cost of the Challenge.

  • Volunteers

    If you are interested in helping run the race and would like to volunteer on the day please speak to your Remenham Club representative or email volunteers@remenhamclub.co.uk.

History

The Remenham Challenge has relatively humble origins having been first set up with a view to establishing an event to enable the clubs to form prospective crews for winter racing, channelling the founding club's traditionally stiff rivalry while at the same time maintaining the friendly, informal atmosphere one associates with the Remenham Club.

The first Remenham Challenge took place in 2000 in Kingston. The race now takes place (extreme weather permitting of course) on the 'Tideway' section of the Thames River racing from the Chiswick Pier to the Vesta RC flagpole. 

Two of the three Putney based founding clubs (London RC, Vesta RC and Thames RC) take it in turn to host the event which is now held in December each year. Due to size constraints Vesta RC is no longer able to host the event.

For information on the Remenham Challenge Cup event for women’s VIIIs at Henley Royal Regatta please click here.

Through the years...

The inaugural Remenham Challenge was hosted by Kingston RC on 23 January 2000. 40 plus crews battled their way down a course from the Water Gallery at Hampton Court Palace to the Kingston RC Boathouse, a distance just over 3 miles.

2001 saw the Challenge move 'down river' to the Tideway, where London RC hosted the 37 crews competing over the reverse Boat Race course. In 2002 the Challenge moved back up to the off-tidal reaches, this time with 48 crews being hosted by Molesey BC.

In 2003 however the Rowing Gods did their worst and Staines BC were unable to host the race due to flood water conditions on their stretch of the river. The spirit that embodies the Remenham Challenge came to the fore at this time with Thames RC stepping into the breach, offering 34 crews their hospitality and the running of the Challenge on a unique course upstream from Battersea Bridge to the Craven Cottage football pitch.

In 2004 Staines BC were finally able to stage its first ever long distance race with 39 boats racing the course. 

Alphabetical order was restored in 2005, when Twickenham RC mirrored the ground-breaking success of Staines by proving to club sceptics young and old and hosting a long- distance race for 57 crews downstream from Teddington Lock to Richmond was possible.

The longer racing distances offered by the Tideway were revisited in 2006 with Vesta selecting a downstream course from Barnes Bridge to the Vesta boathouse with 58 crews all testing their mettle on a beautiful Sunday morning in January.

Several race cancellations due to river conditions on the non-tidal part of the Thames, led to a decision in the late 2000s to relocate the race permanently to the tidal Thames, with the current race course from Chiswick Pier to the Vesta RC flagpole (or shortened to the Black Buoy) being identified as the most suitable for all involved.  

Since the mid-2010s a Race Committee comprising of representatives from the three Putney based Founding Clubs have organised the Challenge on behalf of the Remenham Club.  

Challenge VL 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Ray Penney Development Trophy
2025 Thames RC (13) Vesta RC (12) London RC (11) Vesta RC
2024 Thames RC (17) Vesta RC (12) Molesey BC / London RC (9)
2023 Molesey BC & Thames RC (12) Tie for 1st London RC (6)
2022 Molesey BC & Thames RC (16) Tie for 1st Vesta RC (8)

Organising Committee

COMMITTEE CHAIR
Clare Harvey (Thames RC)
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Vincent McGovern (Vesta RC) 
Jason Gray (London RC)
UMPIRES
Chief: Tony Reynolds (Crabtree BC)
Deputy: Ed Roe (Vesta RC)
SAFETY ADVISOR
Alex Brown (Vesta RC)
Entries
Charlotte Lennox (Vesta RC)