row2k news

World Indoor Rowing Championships Headed to Alexandria in 2018; C.R.A.S.H.-B. on Schedule

After 36 years of residence at the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints in Boston, the World Indoor Rowing Championships will be contested at a different event in a different city on a different weekend in 2018, according to a tweet posted by Concept 2 today.

The 2018 World Indoor Rowing Championships will be held in Alexandria, Virginia on February 17th and 18th, 2018. — Concept2 (@concept2) August 16, 2017

The event also would appear to run to two days; thus the 2018 event will apparently take place as part of the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints on Saturday and Sunday February 17-18, while the C.R.A.S.H.-B. will take place the following weekend on February 25.

The Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints has long been a satellite qualifier for the C.R.A.S.H.-B.; it was the largest qualifying event last year, and in recent years has been the largest indoor event for juniors in the US. Concept 2 confirmed that the championships will be in Virginia and will be a separate event from the C.R.A.S.H.-B. No further details are available at this time, but the change may be part of a plan to have the World Indoor Rowing Championships move around on a regular basis; row2k will follow up.

C.R.A.S.H.-B. Commodore Amanda Milad confirmed this afternoon that the Boston-based event will go on as scheduled.

"The C.R.A.S.H.-B. Board of Directors is looking forward to another year of world-class racing at the Agganis Arena in Boston," she said. "For over 35 years, C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints has been the leading indoor rowing event, attracting athletes from every corner of the globe. We look forward another great race in 2018 and awarding the coveted C.R.A.S.H.-B. Hammer to our 2018 champions!"

Erg season is a long way off, but after 36 years this is a big change, so mark your calendars!