International Rowing Stars Set for Canberra’s Golden Oar

The Golden Oar regatta returns to Canberra, Australia, from 30 October to 1 November, bringing together elite international athletes, club and masters rowers, a community festival and a new beach sprint arena.

Olympic champions, national team rowers and emerging rowing nations will converge on Canberra, Australia, from 30 October to 1 November for the Golden Oar, a mixed-gender regatta offering more than A$200,000 in prize money and a new beach sprint arena.

The line-up includes Croatia’s Martin and Valent Sinković, returning for a second year; leading athletes from Ireland and New Zealand; Australia’s full men’s and women’s squads; and a 10-person delegation from the Uganda Rowing Federation, including Para Rowers. Athletes from 10 nations are expected to compete.

Also among those confirmed are Irish rowers Fintan McCarthy, Philip Doyle, and Margaret Cremen; New Zealanders Brooke Francis, and Lucy Spoors; Romanians Simona Radiș, Adriana Adam, Constantin Adam and Leontin Nuțescu; and other athletes, including Viktorija Senkute (Lithuania), Martin Mackovic and Nikolaj Pimenov (Serbia), Sophia Vitas (United States) and Juliane Faralisch (Germany).

Following last year’s inaugural event, which offered A$120,000 in prize money, the Golden Oar is building its profile with a format that brings elite international competition, club and masters racing, community participation and a festival atmosphere together.

Three Days of Racing and Entertainment

The regatta takes place on Lake Burley Griffin at Black Mountain Peninsula in Canberra, over a multi-distance format: a 1500m side-by-side race on Saturday, then a 3km time trial and 450m sprint finals on Sunday, with the sprints finishing right in front of the Red Shed. Club and masters competition, along with relay ergometer racing, will also feature, broadening the programme beyond the elite field.

The Golden Oars’ signature event comes on Friday with the Mixed Doubles. Each crew is one Australian and one international, one man and one woman, drawn from a hat on Friday, then competes in heats, semis, and a final over 450m for a A$40,000 prize pool. World-class scullers race for cash, sharing a boat for 24 hours!

Spectators can attend free of charge, while every race will be streamed live.

A New Home for Beach Sprint Rowing

A major addition to this year’s event is the planned opening of a dedicated beach sprint arena on the morning of Friday, 30 October.

Developed at the Red Shed, the arena will provide a permanent home for beach sprint rowing in the region and create new opportunities for athletes and spectators to experience coastal rowing.

Lifelong rowers John and Jeanette Gasson developed the Red Shed as a community rowing and wellness hub. Its wider mission is to introduce 750 young people to rowing each year, supported by facilities and activities including a wellness centre, community gym and café, and community and corporate events.

Bringing Elite Sport and the Rowing Community Together

The Golden Oar aims to connect high-performance competition with grassroots participation, creating a setting where international athletes, club rowers, masters competitors and new audiences can share the same venue.

With a growing international line-up, substantial prize money, a new beach sprint arena, and free spectator access, the event offers a distinctive way to bring different parts of the sport together.

Event: The Golden Oar
Dates: 30 October–1 November 2026
Location: Red Shed, Black Mountain Peninsula, Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra
Website: goldenoar.com.au