The Sprint Race
National,
collegiate, worlds, and Olympic sprint competitions are 2,000 meters,
or approximately 1.25 miles. The race course is divided into 6-8 lanes
and each 500-meter section is marked with buoys. Masters races are
1,000 meters. Often, juniors races are 1,500 meters.
The
race begins with all boats aligned at the start in the lanes they've
been assigned. Individuals in each lane hold the stern of each boat
steady while an official, known as the aligner, ensures that each boat
is even with the others and squarely facing the course.
Each
crew is allowed one false start; two means disqualification. If within
the first 100 meters there is legitimate equipment breakage (e.g., an
oar snaps in two), the race will be stopped and restarted with repaired
equipment.
The
stroke rate (the number of rowing strokes per minute that a crew is
taking ) is high at the start – maybe 45 to even 50 for an eight; 38 to
42 for a single scull. Then, the crew will "settle" into the body of
the race and drop the rating back – 38 to 40 for an eight; 32-36 for a
single. The coach and the way the race is going determine when the crew
will sprint but finishing stroke rates of 46+ in the last 200 meters
aren't unheard of. However, higher stroke rates are not always
indicative of speed. A strong, technically talented crew may be able to
cover more water faster than a less-capable crew rowing a high stroke
rate.
Unlike
canoe/kayak competitions, rowers are allowed to leave their lanes
without penalty, so long as they do not interfere with anyone else's
opportunity to win. An official follows the crews to ensure safety and
fairness.
Despite
the exhaustion of the race, the crew will row for five to 10 minutes
afterwards in order to cool down. In rowing, the medals ceremonies
include the shells. The three medal-winning crews row to the awards
dock, climb out of their shells and receive their medals before rowing
away.
The Head Race
Head
races, which are generally held in the fall, about 2.5-3 miles long and
the boats are started in their respective divisions separately at 10
second intervals. They are usually conducted on a river with an
assortment of bridges and turns that can make passing quite
interesting. The winner is the crew that had the shortest elapsed time
between the start and finish lines, with any additional time included
for penalties.
