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  3. The Great River Race

The Great River Race

Dates and Times

Thu 1st Jan 2015

Sat 12 Sep
10.45am - 7pm (2015)

Millwall Slipway, Westferry Road E14 3QS to riverside below Ham House, Ham, Richmond, TW10 7RS

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More than 300 boats from all over the UK and around the world compete in this race to find the UK Traditional Boat Champions.

The entry includes gigs, skiffs, cutters, currachs, jolly boats, naval whalers, Chinese dragon boats, Hawaiian war canoes, Viking longships, shallops, skerries, wherries and many, many more. The race starts from Millwall Slipway at 10.45am and the leading boat is expected to cross the finish line, below Ham House in Richmond at around 1.40pm.

This is “the Thames marathon” and Europe’s most colourful river race. For greatest excitement, we recommend that you head to the riverside between Richmond and Ham House for approx 1.30pm as the winners race to cross the line to a cannon broadside and rousing applause.

Look out for the crew of theDutch Marines Rowing Challenge, more than 120 Marines in 12 Dutch sloops will set out from Rotterdam on a mammoth 230 mile row across the North Sea and then upriver to compete in The Great River Race as regular competitors. Then it’s just a mere 21.6 miles to the Finish! The Dutch Marines Rowing challenge celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and is a fundraiser for disabled and disadvantaged Marines, and surviving relatives.

Other great spots to view the race and cheer on the crews?

  1. St Katharine Docks or Tower Bridge
  2. Putney riverside - while you're there check out the Totally Thames Putney Funday
  3. Chiswick Pier - where there will be a Fuller's bar, BBQ and other refreshments.
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