The Big Row

The Big Row is Love Rowing’s flagship annual fundraising challenge — bringing together individuals, clubs, schools, regattas, and organisations to collectively take on ambitious endurance challenges in support of inclusive and accessible rowing.

Each year, the challenge evolves in scale and creativity, but the purpose remains the same: raising vital funds and awareness for Love Rowing, and showing what the rowing community can achieve together.

2021 London to Tokyo… and back to Paris

The first ever Big Row took place in 2021 as a virtual fundraising challenge, uniting the rowing community during a landmark sporting year.

To celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games, participants collectively rowed the distance from London to Tokyo and back to Paris – an incredible 19,000km.

Rowers from across the UK logged metres on ergs and on the water, proving that even when apart, the rowing community could come together to achieve something extraordinary.

2022 Around the world

In 2022, The Big Row returned on an even bigger scale.

Throughout May, participants across the UK worked together to row the entire circumference of the Earth – a staggering 40,075km.

Clubs, individuals, schools, and organisations all contributed to this shared global goal, cementing The Big Row as an annual event that combines endurance, inclusivity, and collective impact.

2024 – Paris to Los Angeles

Hundreds of people took part in Love Rowing’s 2024 Big Row, rowing the distance from Paris to Los Angeles – 15,241km – between 5th and 11th September 2024.

Participants included:

* Individuals
* Rowing clubs
* School rowing programmes
* Regattas
* Organisations

Challenges were completed both on land and on water, making the event accessible to as many people as possible. Together, the community once again showed that The Big Row is about participation, connection, and shared purpose – not just distance.