This year’s 16th annual event, hosted by Three Rivers Rowing Association, will take place February 2, 2008 at Central Catholic High School in the heart of Pittsburgh, Penn. With easier access to parking and the city center, Assistant Race Director Chelsea Prior is confident that the new venue will attract more participation.

“We are hoping to have well over 700 competitors this year, up from last year’s 690,” said Prior, who came on board with the staff at Three Rivers Rowing in September of 2007. She was able to “jump right in” and help race director Rick Brown organize one of the country’s largest indoor rowing events.

In anticipation for the indoor sprints, Three Rivers Rowing Association purchased an additional 35 ergs, but will keep a similar arrangement to last year. The event is open to all levels of rowers and will include open, lightweight, men, women, junior, master, senior, veteran and coxswain races.

“At Three Rivers we have several different teams that compete out of the boathouse. There is a morning masters team, a mixed masters evening program, and a junior program. Most of the college and high school teams that row out of the boathouse will be participating in the event.”

The event is also sponsored by Concept2 as a C.R.A.S.H. B. satellite qualifier. The top four finishers of the Pittsburgh Indoor Sprints that make qualifying time will win round-trip tickets to compete at the C.R.A.S.H. B.’s in Boston, Mass. on February 23, 2008. “This is one of our biggest pushes for the event,” said Prior. “We are the fourth largest satellite race in the world, behind Melbourne, Alexandria and Toronto.”

Visit http://www.threeriversrowing.org/r-isprints.html for more information on this year’s event, including race packet, details, past results and photo gallery.

Photos from the 2007 Indoor Sprints provided by Jill Markl.