Ashleigh Tate of Oyster Bay will be among the 7,000 athletes rowing in the 40th annual Head Of The Charles Regatta (HOCR) on Oct. 23 and 24. They will row among top athletes, including Olympic medal winners from across the US and 27 countries. Ms. Tate is the US Rowing National Junior Women's Single Champion.

Founded in 1965, the Head Of The Charles is the largest rowing event in North America. More than 1,500 racing shells compete in 48 different events during the two-day regatta. The HOCR, a "head" race, which is a class of regattas, is among the most challenging in all of rowing. When performed with skill, rowing looks graceful, elegant, and even effortless, but looks can be deceiving. Rowers are also universally recognized as among the fittest of all athletes; they spend thousands of hours training for races that may take just a few minutes. The sport is incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally, as athletes compete against clock and the river in a grueling battle.

Starting at Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse, the three-mile HOCR race course zigs and zags upstream, underneath a total of seven bridges, which are a particular worry for scullers who face sternwards and must turn their heads to avoid them. The course also includes two long, reverse "S" turns before finishing at Artesani Park in Brighton, MASS. The races include all age divisions (youth, collegiate, elite, and masters) and boat categories (singles, doubles, fours, and eights). Rowers with the fastest finishing times in each race are awarded the title "Head Of The Charles."

Entry into the Head Of The Charles is highly competitive. A lottery system determines the acceptance of the majority of race participants. Generally, fewer than half of those who apply are accepted. In fact, demand is so high that the Race Committee has instituted a two-year waiting list for new clubs to be eligible to receive racing numbers. Another point of difference for the HOCR is that the true spirit of amateur athletics prevails at this event, as club and collegiate rowers compete side by side with Olympians.

The HOCR is among Boston's most prized, signature events, attracting nearly 300,000 spectators and college alumni who line the riverbanks throughout the weekend. More than 900 volunteers support the HOCR, as do corporate sponsors Nautica, Polaroid and Dunkin' Donuts.

Known as America's Fall Rowing Festival(r), the Head Of The Charles offers additional weekend activities including the Head Of The Charles Fitness Expo(r), The Reunion Village, and Row-a-Palooza, a two-day, multi-band music festival that is new to the regatta this year. Races run from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday and from 7:45 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call (617) 868-6200 or visit www.hocr.org