The Head of the Charles Regatta is taking part in a new event – beach sprints – ahead of the sport’s appearance at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Local athletes can try the sport too, with no experience or equipment needed.
For the weekend showcase of an event blending head-to-head racing with beach sprints and open-water slalom courses, though, the Head of the Charles is leaving the Charles on July 25-27 for DCR Carson Beach in South Boston, joined by some para national team athletes who train locally and aspiring national team athletes living and working in Cambridge while training at local boat clubs, said the Regatta’s executive director, Tori Stevens.
Since the International Olympic Committee announced in 2023 that beach sprints would be added to the games, “the rowing community has been working out how to approach this new part of the sport,” Stevens said. “It is not a style of rowing many are familiar with.”
Boston is “uniquely situated” to introduce the sport to everyone because it’s one of few cities with a strong rowing culture and access to the oceanfront, Stevens said.
Athletes at the July event will be expected to kick off each race with a sprint across the sand before launching into the water, weaving through buoys, turning 250 meters out, and racing back to the beach to finish on foot.
“The races take about three minutes,” regatta race director Brendan Mulvey said. “It’s a quick fire competition, it’s one great race after another, so it moves quickly.”
The event’s first day, a Friday, is a beach sprints clinic hosted by USRowing. The weekend days are bracket-style racing across singles, doubles and quads, culminating in quarterfinals, semis and finals.
“It’s definitely a discipline of rowing that is more widespread in other countries,” Mulvey said. “We’re excited to give it a better platform here.”
Registration for the event drew 32 entries, accounting for about 40 competitors, almost immediately. Most have some competitive rowing background and plan to attend the clinic and races, organizers said. With the recent conclusion of U.S. national team trials, several newly selected Beach Sprint national team athletes are expected to join the competition in Boston.
Yet even at the elite level, boats are provided for athletes at competition – no one has to own an open-water sculling boat to participate in Boston Beach Sprints, Stevens said.
“It’s going to be a great day just to hang out on the beach,” Mulvey said. “The action stays close enough that there’s plenty to watch, making Beach Sprints a very spectator-friendly event. We hope it’s a fun day, whether folks are racing or spectating to see the newest Olympic sport, and something a little bit different in Boston.”
It’s not clear if this is a onetime event or will recur. “The Regatta is taking this event one day – year – at a time,” Stevens said.
The event is free. Registration and full details are available at HOCR.org and RegattaCentral.com.
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