Adult Learn-to-Row
Learn To Row, three short words that for many are life-enriching, in terms of both physical and mental well-being. Rowing utilises 85% of your muscle mass, gives you a great cardio workout, has a low injury risk and helps improve your flexibility, balance, and concentration.
We are a competitive club and as such are particularly keen to hear from people who’ve competed at a high level in other sports. If you’re a high-achieving swimmer who fancies a more varied view than the bottom of the pool, or a former runner, footballer, rugby player, gymnast or cyclist and you fancy trying a sport that’s largely injury-free, that you could do into your 90’s, then drop us an email below – we’d love to hear from you.
Our ALTR coaching takes place at Marlow Rowing Club, on a beautiful non-tidal stretch of the River Thames. We have a fleet of modern boats ranging from safe and stable beginner’s boats to lightweight racing shells. We coach in a group environment, but within that we aim to tailor it to your personal rate of development.
Our ALTR coaching team bring 200 years of rowing and 100 years of coaching experience. The team includes multiple former national champions who share a deep understanding of and passion for the sport.
Our Adult Learn to Row programme starts in April 2025 with one of the first of 4 Taster Sessions which we introduced a few years ago, giving people a sense of what the sport involves prior to commencement of each course so that those who are interested can come and look around the club, chat to some of our members / mentors, receive a couple of hours coaching and get a real feel for the course, the coaches, our club and the sport. It will take about 3 hours and it’s a lot of fun. The April Taster sessions are generally for the May courses and the June Taster sessions are for the late June / July courses. The cost is £20, payable in advance from our website.
You must have attended a taster session prior to joining the course.
These sessions will be bookable by Friday 28th February on our website.
Taster sessions :
Saturday 26th April
Sunday 27th April
Saturday 14th June
Sunday 15th June
This year we have two, 5 week courses starting on 6th May and 24th June with a choice days and times, with each lesson 90 minutes long.
We are sorry but the course days and times are not interchangeable, so please make sure you can finish the course you sign up to. If you need to, or want to, you can buy ‘missed lessons’ from our website.
Course days and times
- Tues and Fri 6.30 am
- Tuesday and Fri 9.30 am
- Sat and Sun 2pm
We are also introducing an intensive 4 day course this year. They are half day courses starting at 9.30 and finishing at 1.45.
Monday 9th June to Thursday 12th June
Monday 28th July to Thursday 31st July

Course Dates For 2025
Sat 26th & Sun 27th April Taster session
Tuesday 6th May 1st course starts
Sunday 8th June 1st course ends
Tue & Fri: 6:30 am – 8 am
Tue & Fri 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Sat & Sun 2pm – 3.30 pm
Monday 9th June to Thursday 12th June Intensive course
9.30 am – 11.30 am & 12.30pm – 1.45pm
Sat 14th & Sun 15th June Taster session
Tuesday 24th June 2nd course starts
Sunday 27th July 2nd course ends
Tue & Fri: 6:30 am – 8 am
Tue & Fri 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Sat & Sun 2pm – 3.30 pm
Monday 28th July – Thursday 31st July Intensive course
9.30 am – 11.30 am & 12.30pm – 1.45pm
Costs:
- Course costs – £399 (Unemployed/Student £299)
- 121 sessions – £30 per person per 1.5 hour session
- 4 day Intensive course – £475 (includes the cost of the bronze assessment)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You will be given a stable boat, and buoyancy aids are available on request. Single scullers will be accompanied by a safety launch at all times. We encourage all of our participants to read the supporting documents provided.
We ask that all participants come prepared with comfortable sports kit including trainers, a complete change of clothes and a towel in the event of a capsize, a waterproof top, a water bottle, sun cream and a sun hat, and an open mind and plenty of enthusiasm!
Our aim, which about 80% of students achieve, is that by the end of six weeks you will have the boat handling skills, safety awareness and discipline that will allow you to join the club and a squad (subject to there being capacity for new members).
Immediately following ALTR there are 3 distinct destination squads:
1 – Development Squad – a fast track route to competition for those with competitive ambitions and the physiology and time to cope with a demanding program. Your first race is likely to be in the summer in 8’s at Maidenhead, or Wallingford in November for wave 3 students. If you’ve competed at a high level in other sports this could be the squad for you.
2 – Improvers Squad – a slightly gentler paced but still challenging training squad following a program that will see them race through the winter season including racing on the Tideway – known to most people as the Boat Race course.
3 – Go Row. If options 1 and 2 sound a bit serious (they are) then the GR squad is for those who are happy to learn at a gentler pace and who may have recreational rather than competitive ambitions.
