Embedded Files
The Flying Doctor Rowathon is an annual one day marathon row held on the Darling and Murray Rivers and hosted by Wentworth District Rowing Club (WDRC) in Wentworth, New South Wales. It is the longest one day marathon rowing regatta in Australia and raises funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. In 2026 we will again raise funds for their Wellness (Mental Health) Programs in remote communities.
The 2026 Flying Doctor Rowathon.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The 2026 Rowathon Experience will start on Friday afternoon with boat rigging at a private property, "Tapio", on the Darling River via the Wentworth to Pooncarie Road and collection of Rowathon information from WDRC.
The traditional informal BBQ dinner hosted by WDRC will commence at approximately 6.00pm. It will be an opportunity to relax with crew and enjoy the sunset reflections over the Darling River. There will ample parking by the river and this will be also the location for the pre-regatta breakfast on Saturday morning.
The program will be as follows:
FOR 2026
Breakfast will be available at WDRC by the river bank from about 5.30am on Saturday morning. After participants filled their tummies with yummy goodness the first leg crews WILL travel to the start property, "Tapio" to prepare for the first leg, launch boats and start rowing, making sure the starter records their start time.
Full crew instructions including maps of the course will be given out in the week before the Rowathon, at the Friday evening BBQ and during breakfast, before the start.
Participants could review the course on the river charts from the "Charts & Maps" menu. The first leg chart is " Darling Cheart 3".
Crews will row down approximately 25Km to a private property opposite Pomona for morning tea, a rest and possible crew changes, then row the second leg of approx. 20Km, down to Wentworth District Rowing Club for lunch.
Following lunch, crews will row the third leg down to the Murray junction and up stream approximately 12Km to a turning buoy, turn and head back down the Murray, through the cutting and to WDRC and finish.
Afternoon tea will be available before everyone gets cleaned up for a predinner drink and a delicious dinner in the rowing shed.
See maps below.....
So the approximate distances were:
1st leg = 25km; 2nd leg = 20km and 3 leg = about 25km
A flat fee pays for breakfast, morning tea, lunch and end of rowing snacks. It is not necessary to take cutlery or crockery to the row, as everything is provided at the meal stops. Nor will you needed to take any money, as you will have paid for your meals with your registration.
The day will finish with the Survivor's Dinner in the WDRC boat shed where crews can compare great rowing feats, times and sore parts, always with a deal of satisfaction.
The dinner is paid with the entry form. During the evening we will auction a limited number of special items to raise funds for the RFDS.
We will also have a stall near the WDRC boat shed, on Friday evening and at the end of the rowing day, selling local produce and donated items, again to raise funds for the RFDS.
The Rowathon is not necessarily a race, but there are some serious records to be broken by those who enjoy a challenge. Crews are timed over the three legs of the course and the aggregates compared for awarding the trophies. If you and your crew want it to be less competitive, you could enjoy an extraordinary row at a more leisurely pace along the beauty and grandeur of our nations great rivers.
Generally, crews have rest breaks on the water every 20 - 25 minutes, as well as taking three formal breaks on the riverbank with their Support Crews. Above and below the morning, lunch and afternoon stops there are signs marking the points at which your boat would be timed in and out of each of these two formal breaks. Times do not significantly count for the Jack Joel Trophy but are of great interest to crews which, by rowing the full distance unchanged, vied for the Ian Law Trophy. We also have the Col Rogers Trophy for the "Fastest Boat" over the course with crew changes allowed and the Wentworth Perpetual Trophy for the fastest boat with no changes doing just the half marathon (first leg). So "be in it to win it."
Location Maps for the 2026 Flying Doctor Rowathon including roads to get to the stops.
Page updated
Report abuse