Rigging

Pocock Singles Project
Run
9/22/13

"Run" is how far past the puddle of the last stroke the rowers go in for the next stroke. In an eight it's how far past the two puddle stroke goes in or how far past the bow puddle seven goes in. In smaller boats it's more difficult to calculate.
In a world class eight doing a 2000 meter race at 34 strokes per minute in a race that takes about six minutes, the crew would take 204 strokes covering a distance of 9.8 meters per stroke for a run of 1.7 meters.
The same race in the same time at 36 strokes per minute would mean 216 strokes with a run of 1.2 meters.
At 40 strokes per minute it would be 240 strokes with a run of only 0.2 meters - stroke going in practically in two's puddles.
So, the faster the stroke rate, the faster the boat goes even if run is sacreficed - to a point.
Now we can probably manage 24 strokes a minute and maybe a run of one meter. That would mean we would have to take 220 strokes to cover 2,000 meters and our time would be a bit over 9 minutes. With a lot of check and no run a stroke rate of 24 would require 247 stokes and 10.3 minutes to cover 2,000 meters. But take the stroke rate up to 28, even with no run, and we would beat the boat with a stroke rate of 24 and one meter of run.

Distance between rowing stations is about 1.35 meters (53")
In an eight the distance between two and stroke is 6 x 1.35 or 8.1 meters
In the Oct the distance between bow and stroke is 7 x 1.35 or 9.45 meters
and even with stroke going in bow's puddles, the oct is keeping up with an eight with 1.35 meters of run.
In a quad the distance between bow and stroke is 3 x 1.35 or 4.5 meters
and you would have to get 4.6 meters of run to keep up with the eight or the oct.
A double or a single would need a run of some 9 meters to keep up. But then a world class double or single does a 2,000 meter race in 7 or 8 minutes rather than 6 so, if Steve can stay with an eight doing a 9 minute peice, he's doing very well.