Head of the Yarra

On Saturday 23rd November a record entry of 2200 athletes in field of 250 rowing eights will complete over 8kms on the Yarra River for title of fastest crew in the 2024 Head of the Yarra. The race is an annual Yarra River spectacle running the entire 8 kms from the City to Hawthorn.

Racing starts at 9am. and finishes around 3pm. when the fastest category of elite crews including our many of Australia’s Paris Olympic squad cross the finish line at Hawthorn. The race finish carnival in the Yarra Bank Reserve Creswick St Hawthorn a rowing calendar favourite starts around 10.00am. It is held amidst spectators rowers supporters and the entire fleet of 250 boats that are racked in the parklands at the Hawthorn Rowing Club.

The Yarra River is closed for the entire race but there are wonderful spectator vantage points along the length of the Yarra’s banks to Hawthorn. All crews rack their boats in the parklands in Hawthorn watching all the live action on the Big Screen live-site in the parklands.

This year 28 classes of club crews from all over Australia and New Zealand will make up the race field.

In the Men’s and Women’s Open categories there is a fierce interstate rivalry for club supremacy with the Sydney Rowing Club men the current fastest ahead of Melbourne University while in the Women’s Open Melbourne University Women are currently champions ahead of Sydney Rowing Club. Race records are set to tumble on the back end of the Olympics with strong representation of world-class athletes from all over Australia and New Zealand racing in their home club eights.

The race includes categories for school club elite para and masters’ eights with the oldest category of Masters K (average age 83 yrs. plus) including a Sydney & Melbourne crew rivalry.

Join in the activity from your favourite spot along the Yarra Banks from the City to Hawthorn and livestream the race broadcast available on our website from 8.30am onwards at headoftheyarra.com.

Host or Publisher Hawthorn Rowing Club