Christmas Head
Our annual Christmas race takes place on (usually) the 1st Saturday of December each year.
The course is 1,800m long running from the Pike and Eel to outside Jesus boathouse.
It’s a light-hearted race with many crews getting involved with the festive spirit by wearing fancy dress. Come join in the fun and Christmas cheer!
2025 Race
2026 RACE - 5th December
The 2025 race took place on SATURDAY 6th December.
The 2026 race will take place on Saturday 5th December. (entry information will be updated in August 2026)
Entries
Christmas Head features race categories for Open, Women’s and Mixed categories and in: 8+, 8x+, 4-, 4+, 4x, 4x+, 2-, 2x, 1x.
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THE 2025 RACE WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 6TH.
Entries are now closed
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Waiting list information can be found here​
Prizes
​Pots will be awarded for:
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Senior categories with 3 or more entries
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Junior categories with 2 or more entries
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The best fancy dress
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The best line under the Green Dragon Bridge
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Special additional prizes for the fastest mixed town and college eights
Division Times
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Division 1: 09:00
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Division 2: 11:00
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Division 3: 13:00
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Division 4: 14:45
Competitor Information
A detailed copy of the competitor information and instructions is here: Christmas Head Competitor Info.
Numbers can be collected from the City of Cambridge Boathouse on the morning of the event. Please note we will be using Empacher number boards so each boat will need an Empacher slot.
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Boats must be ready to marshal along the Reach at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the division.
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A copy of our risk assessment is available on request.​
Contact and row-through requests
If you would like to request a row though please contact the Events Secretary.
Marshalling instructions and sign-up
City members must sign up for marshalling.
Marshal instructions can be found here: Christmas Head Marshal Instructions