The Head of the River Fours
The Fuller’s Head of the River Fours, which takes place over the world famous 4 ¼ mile Championship course from Mortlake to Putney, returns to the River Thames in West London for the 61st time on Saturday 7 November starting at 12.45pm.
This event was first run in 1955, when 34 crews rowed over a 3-mile course from Chiswick Steps to Putney Pier. This year 420 boats are expected to take part, making it one of the largest rowing events in the world.
You can watch the race along the entire course for free, the action should last a few hours and there are a lot of great viewing points in which to watch from. There will be stalls selling refreshments and rowing related merchandise outside many of the Tideway clubs. Be sure to be on the look out for stalls along Putney Embankment and near Hammersmith Bridge.
Depending on the weather, fitness and skill, it can take crews anywhere from 17 to 30 minutes to complete the course. The hopes are the weather will not play a major factor in the event as treacherous conditions caused a last minute cancellation in 2009.
To keep up to date with any potential race time changes due to weather, be sure to follow The Fours’ Head on Twitter. And for more details about the history of the race and a full start order check out www.hor4s.org.uk