On Sunday, 22nd February, Shoreline Leisure Centre in Greystones played host to a fantastic day of racing at the Wicklow Community Rowing Indoors Challenge (WCRIC). Delivered by Rowing Ireland in partnership with Community Rowing Greystones, the event brought together athletes of all ages and abilities from clubs across the country.

Crews and individuals travelled from far and wide, including representatives from University of Limerick, Neptune Rowing Club, Edermine Ferry Rowing Club and many more, creating a brilliant atmosphere from the moment check-in opened.

Racing kicked off at 10:45am with heats of some fantastic racing in the 1 Minute Row. Inspired by the World Rowing Virtual Indoor Championships taking place the same weekend, the format ensured exciting head-to-head competition across all categories.

The overall winners in the 1 Minute Row were:

Overall Male: Ian McFarlane

Overall Female: Sophie Connolly

One of the standout performances of the morning came from Lucy O’Brien, who delivered a phenomenal row in the 50–59 Women’s category, finishing just five metres shy of breaking her own 50–59 Lightweight Women’s 1 Minute World Record – a thrilling moment for everyone watching.

Following the explosive sprint racing, athletes stepped up for the 1km and 5km events, producing some hugely impressive performances across the board.

Fastest Overall – 1km

Men: Rob Chadwick

Women: Sophie Connolly

Fastest Overall – 5km

Men: James Lemon

Women: Sophie Connolly

In the Para category, P. Chris Kennedy showcased outstanding consistency and strength, taking the win in both the 1km and 5km events.

The relay events brought a real sense of team spirit to the floor, with clubs battling it out over 2km and 5km distances.

Overall Men’s Relay Winners: Community Rowing

Overall Women’s Relay Winners: Neptune Rowing Club

Mixed Relay Winners: St Michael’s Rowing Club, Dun Laoghaire

Junior Relay Winners: Edermine Ferry Rowing Club

The roar from teammates and supporters created an electric environment and was a true reflection of the strong community spirit that underpins Irish rowing.

Rowing Ireland would like to extend a sincere thank you to Shoreline Leisure Centre for hosting the event and providing a fantastic venue for the day. A special word of thanks also goes to all volunteers, supporters, and Community Rowing Greystones for their collaboration in delivering such a successful competition. Another huge thank you to Oran O’Toole from East Coast Training for providing first aid support on the day.

The Wicklow Community Rowing Indoors Challenge once again demonstrated the power of indoor rowing to bring clubs, communities and athletes together – whether chasing personal bests or simply enjoying the buzz of race day.

We look forward to building on this momentum for the rest of 2026.