Over 3,000 young people took to London and Leeds for 2024’s National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships (NJIRC)
Widely regarded as the world’s largest and most inclusive indoor rowing competition, NJIRC again returned to both London and Leeds for the second year in a row, marking some of the most competitive action in the event’s long history spanning nearly two decades.
NJIRC 2024 kicked-off in Leeds at the John Charles Tennis Centre in Leeds on Friday 23 February with around 1,000 taking part before the event concluded at London’s Copper Box Arena on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a week later where around 2,200 competed.
Organised by London Youth Rowing (LYR) since 2007, NJIRC provides thousands of young people from schools, clubs and community groups the chance to take part in a full day of indoor rowing racing.
Former high-profile competitors at NJIRC include British Rowing stars Sam Nunn and Vwairé Obukohwo, while three-time Olympic champion Andy Triggs Hodge attended 2024’s event as part of the LYR team.
The full results from NJIRC 2024 are available here, with some of the key highlights including:
- National champions are crowned in each year group across all competitions.
- Over 120 young people with special educational needs or a disability (SEND) competed
- Maidstone Invicta Rowing Club’s girls claimed multiple national titles including year 12 2000m and the 2112m senior relay
- Hackney-based Mossbourne Rowing Academy, supported by LYR came out top in the year 10 boys 5 minutes event at NJIRC London
- Over 220 teams took part in the Henley Regatta Team Relay where they raced 2112m, the length of the historic Regatta Course.
LYR operates its primary programme, Active Row across the country. Originating in London, Active Row combines both indoor and on-water rowing, with a firm focus on improving equality, inclusivity and diversity.
A study which assessed a four-year period of Active Row London found that the programme provides a significant boost to the mental and physical health of participants, whilst generating more than £17million of social benefits annually.
As in previous years, NJIRC 2024 received valuable continued support from Henley Royal Regatta Charitable Trust, British Rowing and Morgan Sindall as part of the work from all organisations to make rowing as inclusive and accessible as possible.
Concept 2 UK continued to provide equipment and expertise to help run NJIRC each year.
Matt Rostron, LYR CEO, said: “Rowing competitions, head races and regattas have really had it tough in recent years.
With the pandemic wiping out all of these types of events over a two-year period, and now an increasing number of on-water regattas and head races being cancelled due to bad weather and dangerous rivers and waterway conditions, NJIRC feels like it is really filling a gap in the junior events field.
“To have over 3,000 young people from across the UK, attend NJIRC this year is just amazing, and we are thrilled.
Young people generally thrive on competition and NJIRC is able to provide different racing options and distances which enable many different groups to turn up and race in some form and represent their school or club.
For many, this will be the one and only opportunity to do that and that is just fantastic.”
For more information, visit www.njirc.co.uk