RegattaCentral

Welcome to the 2025 OCU Head of the Oklahoma Regatta at RIVERSPORT in OKC’s Boathouse District

The OCU Head of the Oklahoma includes a 2.5-mile head race during the day and the 500m OG+E NightSprints Saturday evening on the only permanently lighted racecourse in the world. Events include collegiate, masters, and junior rowing.

2025 RACE PACKET BELOW

DEADLINES

Friday, July 25, 2025: Head Race entries open at noon. (CDT)

Friday August 1, 2025: OG+E NightSprints entries open at noon. (CDT)

Sunday, September 21, 2025: Head Race entries close at midnight. (CDT) 

Sunday, September 21, 2025: OG+E NightSprints entries close at midnight. (CDT) 

Thursday, September 25, 2025: deadline for late entries at noon. (CDT) 

Friday, October 3, 2025: deadline for line-ups at 8 am. (CDT) 

Packets will include heat sheets with corresponding bow numbers and race bibs, course maps, and additional event instructions and information. 

RACE FEES

Head Race 1x	$50.00
Head Race 2x/-	$70.00
Head Race 4x/+	$100.00
Head Race 8+	$135.00
Night Sprints 1x	$20.00
Night Sprints 2x/-	$25.00
Night Sprints 4x/4+	$30.00
Night Sprints 8+	$40.00

REFUNDS/SCRATCHES/LATE ENTRIES 

Entry fees will be refunded for scratches registered on or before Sunday, September 21, 2025. Scratches after this date will forfeit their entry fees. A $10 scratch fee will apply for scratches after September 29th and for no-shows on race day. 

Notice: Late entry fees are noted on Regatta Central.

WAIVERS 

The Head of the Oklahoma is a USRowing registered regatta and requires a signed USRowing Release of Liability for each athlete. Furthermore, all participating organizations/ schools/clubs must be members of USRowing. Single scullers do not have to be individual members. Visit USRowing for membership information and to sign waivers. Coaches are not permitted to submit a waiver on a rower’s behalf. 

 

REGATTA STAGING 

BUS PARKING 
Buses can drop off teams at the Compass Rose located north of the University of Central Oklahoma Boathouse on RIVERSPORT Dr. Buses are encouraged to park near 1503 Exchange Ave., OKC OK 73129. This location is located just West of RIVERSPORT, off of Oklahoma City Blvd. and Reno.

BOAT TRAILER PARKING 
Please contact Gena Terrill at gterrill@riversportokc.org with the following information: 

• Name and cell phone number of trailer driver 
• Estimated day and time of arrival 

On arrival, please follow directions from parking attendants. 

DRIVING DIRECTIONS 

Directions to the Boathouse District can be found here. 

BOAT STAGING 
Please keep all boats and oars in the designated staging areas and clear of marked pathways and docks.  Most staging will occur around the Devon Boathouse and Chesapeake Finish Line Tower. 

Boats being used from a hot seating crew will launch from the east end of the Recovery dock in front of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower.  Boats being used for hot seating crews will be allowed to temporarily stage in front of Chesapeake in the grass directly across from control commission.   

TEAM TENTS & SPACE RESERVATIONS
Team tents cannot stage or set up until Saturday morning. 

Clubs and universities are permitted to erect tents in designated areas along the race course, surrounding the Devon Boathouse and the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Boathouse inlet.  Front row staging along west of FLT and east of Devon will be by reservation only. The reservation form will go out after the end of standard registration prior to the event. First come first serve. Spaces will be reserved in 10×10 increments. If two spaces are requested, we will be sure that they are next to each other either side by side or front to back depending on the number of front row requests we receive.

No tent staging around boat trailers and/or boat staging.

No tents or staging on Fitness Court.

No open flame is allowed on property.

Teams wishing to purchase a permit to grill on a Blackstone or griddle may pre-purchase a permit here (1 per tent). Teams will also be required to review the No Open Flame Policy, prior to arrival.
Permits are available pre-race day for $50 or day of for $100. A separate permit is required for each grill.

TIMING/RESULTS 

Bow number assignments and results link will be posted here in September.

AWARDS 

Medals will be distributed for the Head of the Oklahoma throughout the weekend as results become official. Medals can be picked up on the first floor of the Finish Line Tower.  Special awards will be awarded during the OG+E NightSprints.  Trophies include: 

• Norick Cup – First-place finisher of the Men’s Collegiate Eight Head Race 
• Ackerman Cup – First-place finisher of the Women’s Collegiate Eight Head Race 
• Schnittman Cup – First-place finisher of the Men’s Collegiate Four Head Race 

HOTEL INFORMATION 

Please visit our Partner Hotels page for a complete list of our hotel partners and the contact information to receive special regatta rates. 

Club Teams needing overnight accommodations, please contact Regatta Director, Gena Terrill at gterrill@riversportokc.org

Racecourse & Rules 

Head of the Oklahoma Race Course Map [Download] 

SEEDING 
To ensure safe and fair racing, starting positions for the head race events will be seeded based on the 2024 race results.  All other starting positions will be assigned according to a random draw.  Information about OG+E NightSprints is included below.

RACE BIBS/BOW MARKERS 
Race bibs and bow numbers will be in your entry packet for pick-up at registration. To receive the packet, all athletes must be USRowing compliant.

 

During racing, all boats must have the correct bow number displayed and the race bibs should be worn on the back of all bow seat rowers. Please place the bow numbers in the marked boxes located at the recovery dock at the conclusion of your race. 

 

Notice: TA $10 charge will be assessed for each bow number not returned. 

 

HOT SEATING 
Hot seating will be permitted only from the Recovery Dock.  The Control Commission must be informed in advance of a hot seating situation by informing the Control Commission Referee prior to the actual hot seat and launch by coach, bow or coxswain of hot seating crew.   No events will be delayed for crews arriving late to the start due to hot-seating.  Late arriving crews may race the course for time if deemed safe by the starting official; however, they will not be eligible for a medal. 

CONTROL COMMISSION 
Prior to launching, all crews are expected to check in at one of the three Control Commission launch sites designated to your team located at the Chesapeake Boathouse, Devon Boathouse or University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Boathouse .   The crews will be checked for a properly affixed bow ball and heel ties on each shoe.  Pre-inspected tagged boats will be random spot checked on race days. Control Commission representatives will be located near boat launching areas. 

LAUNCHING (switches for OG+E NightSprints) 
All participants are expected to launch a minimum of 40 minutes in advance of the Head Race event in which they are entered. Crews will launch from their predesignated launch site dock in front of the Chesapeake Boathouse, Devon Boathouse or UCO Boathouse.  Crews will be responsible for launching on time and planning adequate time for the row to the starting line for their event. There will not be any calls to the water.  Any changes to launch times will be announced by the regatta GroupMe and through Regatta Central. Please ensure your crews are prompt on the dock and observe a 90-second dock time.  Crews not observing the 90-second rule will be asked to remove their boat to allow other boats to launch. 

TRAFFIC PATTERN (switches for OG+E NightSprints) 
Please see  course map for specific traffic-related information. All head racing will be conducted in a counterclockwise traffic pattern with racing occurring downstream from West to East.  All 500m racing will be conducted in a clockwise traffic pattern with racing occurring upstream from East to West. Please use caution when passing through the bridges during the head race portion of racing and night sprint recovery. 

RECOVERY/DOCKING (switches for OG+E NightSprints)
Crews will recover at the dock at the base of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower and walk up the chute. 

 

 

RACE START 
Crews will cross the start line at approximately 15-second intervals.  All crews should line-up in bow number order prior to the start of each race as directed by the Start Marshal. To consolidate space in the starting area and expedite the start process, crews will set up in two lines with the even numbers on the north and odd on the south.  

RIGHT OF WAY 
A crew is deemed to be overtaking another crew when it has moved within one length of open water of the crew ahead. On those portions of the course that are straight, a crew being overtaken shall move to the right to allow the overtaking crew to pass. Where the course turns, a crew being overtaken shall move to the outside turn and allow the overtaking crew to pass along the shorter path. Nevertheless, in cases where the overtaking crew’s position clearly prevents safe passage or where there is insufficient room to yield, passing is not allowed, nor is the crew being overtaken required to yield. 

Use caution near all the bridges and be extra careful as you navigate the railroad trestle bridge located just west of the Chesapeake Boathouse. At the Shields Avenue Bridge, check to make sure that another boat is not about to pass you. If there is a boat that is overtaking you, your crew must use the right-hand (south) bridge opening. 

PENALTIES 

• Buoys. Yellow buoys mark the boundaries of the course, dividing the race lanes from the warm-up/traffic lanes. Red buoys alert of approaching hazards. A crew shall be penalized 10 seconds for each yellow buoy the crew passed incorrectly. Incorrect buoy passage occurs when any part of the boat’s hull passes on the wrong side of the buoy. 
• Start  A crew not starting in bow number order will be penalized 10 seconds. 

• Yielding A crew that fails to yield to a crew having the proper right of way will be penalized 30 seconds. A crew that fails to yield to a crew being properly summoned to the starting area, or that interferes with the staging at the Start may be penalized 10 seconds by the Start Marshal or Starter. 
• Bow Number A crew that crosses the starting line without its designated bow number shall be penalized 60 seconds.  Bow numbers are provided and are your crews’ responsibility to maintain.   
• Unsportsmanlike Conduct A crew that is heard using foul language will be given one warning.  If heard again, they will be excluded from the event for which the warnings occurred.  

PROTESTS 
Protests will be considered pursuant to the USRowing Rules of Rowing.  Any crew who wishes to raise an objection to the conduct of the race must do so within 60 minutes of finishing the race.  Once an objection has been lodged, a written protest may be filed at the registration desk on the first floor of the Finish Line Tower.  A fee of $50 is charged for each protest. The protest must be submitted, along with the $50 fee, by a member of the affected crew within 60 minutes of the last boat finish time for the race in question.  The fee will be returned if the protest is upheld. 

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY 
The Chief Referee and the LOC will work together to monitor the weather continuously during the event.  Depending on the severity of incoming or predicted weather, schedule changes will be prioritized as follows: 

• Delay racing later the same day, if time is available. 
• Begin racing earlier than previously announced. Announcements will be made no later than 3 hours before racing or 9:00 pm the evening before in the case of morning racing
• Combine events within the same boat class, but across age categories

• Cancel small boat events (singles, doubles & pairs)
• Cancel regatta

All weather-related schedule changes will be announced using the following media. 

• Announced over the on-site PA system
• Regatta GroupMe 

• Postedon RegattaCentral.

 

Teams are responsible for staying updated on announced schedule changes. 

Please direct any questions about schedule changes to the Registration Desk on the first floor of the Finish Line Tower. 

 

RACE CATEGORIES

Collegiate 
Varsity and club collegiate rowing programs.  See special notice regarding NCAA Rule 13.11.1.3 below. 

Open 
All USRowing registered rowing clubs, individuals, and teams (no handicapping) except junior athletes and crews, and scholastic programs. All international crews who are not juniors should enter open events. 

Youth 

Scholastic and club junior crews.  Juniors may only row or cox in events with a Youth designation. 

Lightweights 
Open to rowers who do not weigh more than the following 

Men: 165 lbs. 

Women: 135 lbs. 

Collegiate Freshman/Novice 
Open to rowers who have not competed in the past year as a collegiate athlete. 

 

Youth Novice 
Limited to youth rowers who began rowing after January 1, 2025. 

 

U17

A youth competitor may participate in the U17 category until December 31st of the year of their 16th birthday.

Masters 
The Head of the Oklahoma will follow USRowing Rules of Rowing for Masters eligibility and handicapping guidelines. The Head of the Oklahoma will recognize all categories of masters racing.  Masters head race events will be handicapped. Night Sprints Masters 4x will be handicapped. 

 

Mixed Masters 
Boats must have 50% women rowers. 

Non-collegiate rowers, scullers and coxswains are not allowed to enter competitions representing a college or university. 

 

EXHIBITION EVENTS 

The Parent/Child NightSprints are direct registration with no corresponding head race event. To register, email the Regatta Director. In deference to NCAA regulations, collegiate rowers are excluded from participation in Parent/Child NightSprints. 

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING NCAA RULE 13.11.1.2 

The Head of the Oklahoma encourages the participation of both college and high school athletes and allows participation by both groups of athletes while not jeopardizing their ability to compete in future intercollegiate competitions. The restrictions apply to high school students participating in both school AND club-based junior programs. 

ADAPTIVE

 

PRE-RACE SCHEDULES 

PRACTICE SCHEDULE 

• Thursday: If a team arrives early and would like to practice on Thursday, please contact the regatta director. 
• Friday: 12:00 pm to 4:30[GU1]  pm 
  *Please note that all crews cannot launch after 4:00 pm and must be off the water by 4:30 pm. 

The Oklahoma River head racecourse will be used by OG+E NightSprints on Friday 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm and will be closed for practice. 

REGISTRATION TIMES 

Registration will be located on the first floor of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower.
• Friday, October 3: 1:00 – 5:00 pm
• Saturday, October 4: 7:00 am – 6:30 pm
• Sunday, October 5: 7:00 am –Until 1 hour after the completion of the final event.

WEIGH-IN TIMES 

Lightweight athletes will weigh-in once for the weekend prior to their first race and between the hours of 7:00am and 9:00am on Saturday, October 5.  Weigh-ins will take place on the second floor of the Devon Boathouse in the High-Performance Fitness Center.  Only one crew in the weigh-in area at a time. Crew members will line up in seat order, bow to stern. Crew members must weigh in wearing their uniform and no footgear. The entire crew must weigh-in together, no exceptions. Coxswains do not weigh in. 

• Saturday, October  4 : 7:00 am – 9:00 am 

COACHES AND ATHLETE MEETING 

Tuesday October 2: 7:30 pm CST via Teams

 

ATHLETE SPAGHETTI DINNER
Join us for the fourth annual HOTO Athlete dinner.
Friday, October 3, 4-6PM pm    Dinner Tickets

• Aubrey McClendon Whitewater Center  Second Floor Conference Room
• Come-and-go pasta buffet
• Tickets can be purchased online.   Deadline for purchase is Midnight of Sept 28.
• Cost is $16 per register or $25 at the door.

 

FOOD 
A variety of food trucks will be onsite. 

 

REFRESHMENTS 
Water to refill water bottles will be available from a water monster located in the middle of the venue. Other refreshments will be available for purchase from on-site vendors. 

 

APPAREL/VENDORS 
Oklahoma Regatta Festival apparel and other merchandise will be available in the retail tent.  Quantities are limited, so purchase early.

 

FIRST AID 
First aid will be available from Fire Medic Group stationed at the Finish Line Tower first floor. 

 

 

 

 

OG&E NIGHTSPRINTS 

REGISTRATION: OG+E NightSprints 

OG+E NightSprints Map [Download] 

DEADLINES 

STANDARD REGISTRATION

• Opens August 1, 2025 @ 11:59 AM CDT.

• Closes September 21, 2025 @ 11:59 AM CDT
• SCRATCH WINDOW*
• Opens August 1, 12:00 PM CDT.
• Closes September 26, 2025 @ 12:00 PM CDT

REGISTRATION PROCESS: OG+E NightSprints

• Crews will need to complete additional entries for night races.
• The top three spots will be guaranteed for the top three finishers of the 2024 event as long as they have completed a NightSprints registration.
• Remaining race spots will be assigned on a first-registered, first-served basis.
• If there are not enough spots for interested crews, those crews will remain on the waitlist.
• Teams are limited to two entries per event.
• Heavily subscribed NightSprints events may justify the addition of a petite and grand final.

SEEDING PROCESS: OG+E NightSprints

• Head race times will determine seeding for lane assignments. It is possible that more than one head race event may be combined for a NightSprints event. For example, the Open 8+ and the Collegiate 8+ may compete in the Open 8+ NightSprint.
• In events with a petite and grand final, head race results will also determine a crew’s placement.

NIGHTSPRINTS ENTRY FEES: 8+, $40.00; 4+/4x, $30.00; 2x, $25.00; 1x, $20.00 

BOAT LIGHTING: OG+E NightSprints 

Teams racing in the NightSprints events need to bring safety lights for all registered crews. Boats are prohibited from launching without the required lighting. 

The regatta will not be providing lights!

 

Light Requirements

Bow and Stern light.  Kraftlight Beacon or similar upright light is required at minimum but feel free to deck your boat out in as many additional lights as you would like.  

LAUNCHING: OG+E NightSprints 

All participants are expected to launch 20 minutes in advance of the NightSprints event in which they are entered. Crews will launch from the dock in front of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower. Crews will be responsible for launching on time and planning adequate time for a row to the starting line. Calls to the water will not be made. Any changes to the launch times will be announced by the regatta GroupMe and PA.   Events will not be held for late crews. Please ensure your crews are prompt on the dock and observe a 90-second dock time. 

TRAFFIC PATTERN: OG+E NightSprints 
All NightSprints racing will be conducted in a clockwise direction with racing occurring from the 500m start line in front of the Whitewater Pavilion and ending at the sprint finish line located in front of the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower.  

 

Crews are prohibited from warming up downstream (East) of the I-35 bridge.  Teams leaving the lighted course and passing I-35 will be excluded from that event.

 

 NO warm-up starts headed to the 500m start line or in the starting area.  Crews that do not follow this safety rule will be asked to return to the dock!

 

RECOVERY/DOCKING: OG+E NightSprints 

Crews will recover at the dock in front of the Chesapeake Boathouse. 

AWARDS: OG+E NightSprints 

NightSprints medals will be distributed Saturday evening and Sunday as results become official. Medals can be picked up on the first floor of the Finish Line Tower. 

 

CONTROL COMMISSION: OG+E NightSprints 
All crews are expected to check in at Control Commission at the base of the Finish Line Tower to ensure proper lighting.  You will not be allowed to launch until after the last crew in the prior event has launched.  Priority will be given to the event ahead of your event. 

 

START: OG+E NightSprints 
Racing in the OG+E NightSprints is a unique experience reserved for experienced and skilled crews. Crews should be prepared to do a floating or rolling start and be able to maintain a point with a floating start.