Team Filippi crews delivered a series of impressive performances at the 2026 Schools’ Head of the River, securing category victories and a number of strong finishes across the Championship Course.
A huge field of school crews returned to the Tideway for the 4.25-mile race from Mortlake to Putney, one of the defining events of the junior winter racing calendar and traditionally the final major head race before crews turn their attention to regatta season. With divisions packed full of the UK’s leading school programmes, the racing offered an early indication of form ahead of the summer championships. At the top of the results sheet, Shiplake College secured victory in the Boys’ Championship Eights, finishing ahead of locals St Paul’s School and an impressive Radley College crew, while Shiplake also topped the Girls’ Championship Eights, completing a memorable day for the Henley-based programme. Across the broader field, a number of crews racing in Filippi shells also delivered standout performances throughout the event.
One of the highlights for Team Filippi came in the Girls’ Championship Quadruple Sculls, where Marlow Rowing Club produced a commanding row to take the category victory in a Filippi quad. This result represents the culmination of enormous and patient work by Pete Chambers and his coaching staff, after several years of finishing second and third at nationally ranked races.
The Boys’ School First Eights also saw a standout performance from Kew House School, who claimed victory in the category racing in a Filippi shell. In a field packed with leading school programmes, their row down the Tideway was one of Team Filippi’s strongest sweep results across the event and cemented their rise as a leading contender in schoolboy rowing.
Filippi shells were also prominent in the Girls’ Championship J16 Eights, where Lady Eleanor Holles School secured second place with a strong performance down the Tideway. Wallingford Rowing Club followed closely behind to take third, while St Paul’s Girls’ School and Surbiton High School also finished inside the top six in the same event.
In the Girls’ Championship Eights, several Filippi crews recorded top-ten finishes, including St Paul’s Girls’ School in sixth place, Godolphin School in seventh and Surbiton High School in eighth.
The younger girls’ events also saw Filippi crews feature prominently. St Paul’s Girls’ School finished second in the Girls’ School J15 Eights, with St George’s College taking third in the same event. Godolphin School also recorded a top-eight finish there. In the Girls’ School J16 Eights, Godolphin School placed third while St Mary’s School, Cambridge, finished fifth.
On the boys’ side, Filippi crews also recorded several strong results. Radley College placed third in the Boys’ Championship J16 Eights, while Marlow Rowing Club finished fourth in the Boys’ Championship Quadruple Sculls, and Wallingford Rowing Club placed eighth in the same event.
In the school eights racing, Pangbourne College finished seventh in the Boys’ School First Eights, while Dulwich College secured sixth place in the Boys’ School Second Eights. Radley College also placed third in the Boys’ School Third Eights, with Abingdon School finishing fifth in the same category.
Several additional Filippi crews appeared near the top of the junior events. St George’s College secured third place in the Boys’ School First J16 Eights, while Radley College placed fourth in both the Boys’ School Second J16 Eights and the Boys’ School Second J15 Eights. King’s College School also finished fourth in the Boys’ School Third J15 Eights.
As the final major head race of the school rowing season, the Schools’ Head of the River provides an important benchmark as crews turn their attention toward the regatta season ahead. It was fantastic to see so many athletes competing in Filippi boats across the Championship Course, and we look forward to following their progress as the racing season continues through the spring and summer.
