BATAVIA, OH- NOV. 16, 2018 – The Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau will be partnering with USRowing to bring the USRowing National Championship back to Lake Harsha for the next three years.
East Fork State Park, which last hosted the event in 2017, will play host to the event from 2019 through 2021. Event dates are set for July 9-14, 2019.
The USRowing National Championship will be a special event featuring North America’s top natural rowing course and showcasing the top competitors in America aiming for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. In 2017, the USRowing National Championship was the first regatta in the prestigious US Lotman Challenge Series with major world class racing in Cincinnati, Boston and Philadelphia. Nearly 2,000 rowing athletes participated in the event from 114 clubs stretching across 28 states and several international countries.
“The Clermont County CVB is very honored to be selected by USRowing to host the National Championships for the next three years,” said Jeff Blom, President of the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our staff worked hard on this bid, so it was very much a team effort in putting together a winning proposal. Our previous experience with hosting successful events in 2015-2017, great local organizing committee, loyal volunteers and ability to get local sponsors involved were all positive factors in landing this national event.”
This park is no stranger to national championship regattas. Lake Harsha was the home of USRowing Club National Championships from 2015-2017, USRowing Youth Nationals from 1995-2010 and National Collegiate Rowing Championships from 1982-1996. In addition, Lake Harsha hosts the yearly Midwest Junior Championship and Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club High School Championship Regatta in the spring.
“We are excited to bring our summer national championship event back to Lake Harsha for the next three years,” said USRowing CEO Patrick McNerney. “Lake Harsha has a long and storied history of hosting some of our nation’s top events. We look forward to working with the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau to put on three, spectacular regattas for our athletes, coaches and fans, and to continue to invest in a great venue at East Fork State Park.”
USRowing’s goal in seeking a three-year agreement was to provide the best, most consistent racing experience for athletes and coaches. This provide cost stability and savings to re-invest into the event, venue and community development around the sport of rowing. This will also aid in developing great commercial and sponsorship programs in association with the local organizing committee to support the sport.
The USRowing National Championship event will crown national champions in the U17, U19, intermediate and elite/senior categories. Rowers, coaches and fans are expected to travel from a large number of states and several international countries to participate in this event, leaving direct tourism dollars in Clermont County.
“Clermont County really enjoys hosting all the athletes and welcomes our visitors during this exciting national championship event,” stated Blom. “The economic impact is significant. Our hotels, restaurants, attractions and retail shops all enjoy increased business during the week-long competition. We look forward to hosting USRowing events for many years to come,” he added.
If you are interested in participating, volunteering or sponsoring the USRowing National Championships, please contact the Clermont County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 513-732-3600 or email joel@visitclermontohio.com.
