If you are interested in racing the Head of the River Race (HoRR) but are based outside the UK, the information below may be useful.
Entry
When entering the HoRR as an overseas crew, your first step will be to email British Rowing to have your club registered on the race entry system.
Once your club is set up on the British Rowing system, each crew member needs to buy a race license which costs £20 per person and lasts for one year. You can buy your race license by following this link and selecting a “Scottish & Overseas membership”.
When your crew have bought the license, you will be able to enter the crew here.
Please make sure you have contacted one of the host clubs prior to entering your crew. A host club is required for race day so you can use their facilities to boat. You need to have contacted a host club before you can select them in the system as your location for race day. If you are unsure how best to do this, please contact us.
Equipment
If you need to borrow a boat but aren’t sure who to speak to, please contact us to discuss your options.
Lifejackets are legally required for coxes on the Thames, so please bring one with you, or ask your host club is they will be able to lend you one for any practice outings and the race itself.
Access to the river requires wading so please bring wellington boots or sliders / flip flops to be able to do this safely.
Accommodation
Hotels close to the HoRR course are:
MK Hotel Putney
317 Putney Bridge Road, Wandsworth, London, SW15 2PG, United Kingdom
Website
Email
Premier Inn London – Putney Bridge
3 Putney Bridge Approach, Fulham, London SW6 3JD
Website
Telephone: 0871 527 8674
The Bridge Pub & Rooms – Hammersmith Bridge
204 Castelnau Barnes, London, SW13 9DW, United Kingdom
Website
Email
Telephone: 0208 563 9811
Other useful websites:
Transport
Air
The London airports closest to the HoRR course are Heathrow, Gatwick and City. If you fly into Luton or Stansted, please take into account extra travel time to get to central London.
Train
A great option to travel to London without any baggage restrictions is by train. The Eurostar runs from Brussel and Paris directly to London St Pancras station.
Additional information
You may wish to arrive in London on Friday and allow time for a paddle to get familiar with the river Thames before the race. Please note that the rules of the river differ on race day, so you may wish to speak to your host club to ensure you are able to paddle safely at other times.
Key dates and times
Entries will open on Monday 5th January 2026 at 09:00 GMT.
Entries will formally be suspended at 17:00 GMT on Friday 30th January 2026 for Overseas Crews (Early Entry). Confirmation of accepted Overseas Entries will be provided on Monday 2nd February for Overseas Crews that have completed early entry. Overseas Crews may still enter until 17:00 GMT on Friday 6th March but subject to a 60 crew limit, therefore we recommend completing early entry.
The official close of entries is 17:00 GMT Friday 13th March and full substitutions will be allowed until this deadline. After this date substitutes are subject to the 50% crew limit.