Head of the Schuylkill Regatta

The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta
History and Growth

The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta® began in 1971 (transformed from the 1000 meter Graduate Sculls race, started one year earlier) when 1960 Olympian Lyman Perry, Jay Pattison III and the late Raul Betancourt, members of the University Barge Club, decided to offer rowers of all ages a congenial fall race on the historic Schuylkill River.

At a time when only college crews competed in fall “Head” or distance races, the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta placed its emphasis on the graduate, non-competing oarsmen and essentially opened racing to newly emerging masters and women rowers.

According to early accounts, roughly 180 competitors participated in the first race on the 2.6-mile course. This year, organizers expect 5,300. There were only 12 women in the first regatta, whereas today half the competitors are women. The name change, to The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, occurred in 1975 when the regatta grew to 406 competitors and point trophies were instituted (they will be re-instituted this year). The first point (or team) trophy was presented to Vesper Boat Club.

The Regatta’s spirit of inclusion grew along with the size and scope of the event. Early Regattas hosted dozens of college, high school and masters rowers…recreational and adaptive events were added later.

Recently the Regatta has grown to over 1,100 crews with events for recreational, adaptive and community rowers. Over 5,000 participants from newly minted weekend rowers to national teams compete. Before expanding to two days in 2008, it was the largest one-day rowing regatta in the world. It was so popular that many limits had to be imposed because the Schuylkill River had reached its physical limit for boats. Hence the recent move to a two-day format that creates more opportunities for rowers and increased tourism opportunities for the Philadelphia region.

The Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta® is popularly known as Philadelphia’s fall festival of rowing and its largest regatta. In the new two-day format, college crews race on Saturday along with some elite and masters rowers, while high schools, and other elite, masters and veteran rowers reign on Sunday. The new-this-year format allows competitors to row multiple races and builds on the Regatta’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier rowing events, at the historic location known as the home of American rowing.

In 2010 the Regatta will be held on Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31. Some 150 high school and college crews are expected. For the most part they come from the New York City to northern Virginia areas, with suburban Philadelphia and New Jersey schools notably represented. Their parents accompany many crew members. The regatta is held in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic Region, known worldwide as a region with a high density of rowers

While there are thousands of students competing in the sport at the high school and college level, many continue to row after graduation and well into their adult and retirement years. Increasing numbers discover rowing as adults. It is a sport for a lifetime, with athletes who are passionate about their sport, are committed to the training and discipline involved to get to the starting line, and highly regard the sponsors that support exciting competitions like the Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta.