Starting Friday, Oct.18, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the banks of the Charles River to watch and participate in the 2024 Head of the Charles Regatta. The regatta lasted until Sunday, Oct.20.
This year’s regatta was a spectacle, with more than 11,000 rowers, 2,400 volunteers and an estimated 400,000 spectators in Boston throughout the weekend. It is the world’s largest three-day rowing regatta.
Competitors for the regatta range from college, high school and club teams to international crews from various countries, bringing together some of the best rowers in the world to compete. There are 73 competing events, with the ages of the competitors ranging from 10 to 92.
Friday, Oct. 18, was the lightest of the three days with eight races. The first day of the Regatta saw the Senior Master, Grand Master, Senior Veteran and Grand Veteran singles and doubles races.
On the second day, Saturday, Oct. 19, the competition picked up, with a total of 36 races. The classes that competed on this day were the Club, more Grand Master and Senior Masters, Championship, which was only in singles and doubles, Master, Alumni eights and fours, Para and Inclusion, Directors’ Challenge Mixed, and The Survivor Row exhibition. Most of these classes were singles, doubles, fours and eights.
The Survivor Row Exhibition was a new addition to the Regatta this year. In 11 boats of eight, 88 cancer survivors from the U.S., France and Italy competed in this exhibition.
The Survivors Row Network was instrumental in helping put on the exhibition at this year’s regatta. The organization is a rowing care program for those with cancer and survivors of cancer. The inaugural Survivors Row shows how this race constantly evolves and expands as the years progress.
Sunday, Oct. 20, the last day of the race, there were 27 races. The classes competing were Youth, Championship, Lightweight, Collegiate and the Directors’ challenge, which had quads, parent-child doubles and mixed eights.
The regatta, which started in 1965, has become one of Boston’s annual “wonders,” along with the Boston Marathon, Boston Calling, First Night and the Boston Common Tree Lighting.
The Head of the Charles Regatta is always a great event for the city, and the 2024 regatta was no exception, continuing its storied history.
