WHAT DISTANCE IS A RACE?
Rowing competitions are called regattas. The standard spring racing distance is 2,000 meters (approximately 1.3 miles). It takes a women’s eight oared shell about seven minutes (depending on wind and water conditions) to complete the distance. The start of the race is exciting and physically demanding. The team must pry the shell from a stopped position; as the hull begins to move, they increase the number of strokes taken each minute. The first two minutes of a race is a bit like a sprint. The team then shifts into a rhythmic, but demanding pace for the middle minutes, or “body” of the race. Approaching the last two minutes, the team again swings up the stroke rate and sprints for the finish line.
