14 October 2026
The 55th Düsseldorfer Rheinmarathon was rowed on 3 October. The organising club, Ruderclub Germania Düsseldorf 1904, describes the race as Lang. Hart. Legendär. (“Long. Tough. Legendary.”)
Thomas Barge, of Malmö Rowing Club, Sweden, wrote to HTBS that his club made history by having five rowers taking part in the 42.8 km marathon, which starts in Leverkusen, just outside Cologne, and finishes in Düsseldorf.
This was Thomas fifth time rowing the race – whether that makes him dedicated or slightly mad is open to debate!
“It normally takes around 2½ hours, but this year’s unusually low water level in the Rhine made the going slower, adding around 15 minutes to the usual times,” Thomas wrote. “The race is rowed in Gig boats with a cox (4x+), but there are also classes for Gig 3x- and Inrigger boats. More than 170 boats took part this year, setting off at 90-second intervals”.
Another Malmö rower, Elisabet Lindgren, and Thomas both competed in Jönköpings Roddsällskap’s colours, rowing in two different crews. Elisabet won silver and Thomas bronze in their respective classes. Jönköping had seven boats competing in total and brought along a good group of supporters.
“Malmö rowers Paula Heinen, Charlotte Marsden and Anette Saaugard Hans teamed up with Odense Roklub, of Denmark, and finished in a very respectable fifth place in the mixed class. Their crew was slightly unusual, as they had only one man on board, whereas the mixed class normally has a 50/50 crew,” Thomas told HTBS.
Thomas continued: “Looking at the club boats, regardless of gender or age, and excluding the German crews, the boat I was rowing was the third fastest, while Elisabet’s was the fourth fastest. Elisabet’s boat was also the third fastest Frauen-Boot, including composite crews and German boats. Impressive!
“Perhaps most impressively, despite rowing almost 43 km, the difference between the different Malmö crews was no more than two minutes – a great indication of how closely matched the crews were.”
The Rheinmarathon is not only about racing – it is also a very social event. There is a long-standing tradition of being handed a beer as soon as you reach the dock after finishing.
Thomas wrote: “A huge thank you to Ruderclub Germania Düsseldorf for putting on such a fantastic event, and to Jönköping for letting me row in their colours. The racing was great, the company even better, and the beer at the finish line certainly helped make the 42.8 km worthwhile. What more could a rower ask for? Lang. Hart. Legendär. – definitely worth doing again!”
The results are here.
