2026 World Rowing Shanghai Sprints

Short-course racing in the heart of a city is the whole idea behind the World Rowing Shanghai Sprints. Held in Shanghai, China from 25 to 26 September 2026, the regatta trades the long flat-water course for a fast, compact format designed to put crews in front of urban crowds.

Sprint racing rewards a clean start and the nerve to hold speed over a tight distance, where there is little room to recover from an early mistake. The condensed format keeps the action close together and easy to follow, which is part of World Rowing's push to broaden the audience for the sport.

Setting the racing against a major city backdrop gives the event a different character to a traditional regatta. The Shanghai Sprints sit within a wider effort to take rowing to new places and present it in a punchier, more spectator-friendly form.