top of page
Racing Info
Racing
Teams that have a confirmed racing slot with us, congratulations on getting a spot and good luck in your preparations.
Race weekend is composed of Specialty Division and Race Day. Confirmed racing teams then get to practice in the month of May. Teams get introduced to how to paddle and how to work as a team to get the boat moving. After the practice month, it all culminates in race weekend. Teams will participate in a time trial that will help seed them for racing on Festival Day.
Practice FAQ
Practice Sign-Ups will open on April, 2026. An email will be sent to all team captains/administrators.
If you do not receive an email with the practice information, please reach out to the race committee.
No practice attendance requirement. However, paddlers are encouraged to attend as many practices as possible. We strongly recommend that novice or out-of-practice paddlers attend at least 2 practices.
The 2025 Boston Dragon Boat Festival is complete. See you in 2026!
Location: MIT Richard J. Resch Boathouse (409 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139)
Time: Monday - Friday, 6:00-8:00PM
Practice is from: TBD 2026
A team may sign up for a maximum of four 1 hour practices.
A team may sign up for consecutive sessions on the same night except during the last week of practice (early June). A team may sign up for only one 1 hour practice during the week of early June.
Practice registration is first come, first served.
Before a team comes to their scheduled practice(s), please make sure that all attending athletes for that practice slot have signed their Athlete Registration Form 48 hours before their scheduled time.
Festival volunteers will check teams via this data provided. To minimize delays, please try to have your team on time and cooperate with our volunteer's instructions in this process. After the check-in process is complete, your team can head down to the docks and prepare for practice.
General:
Please respect the MIT boathouse equipment and location.
Keep the bicycle path clear when waiting on shore to check in
Do not use the crew locker rooms in the boathouse
Leave belongings on the dock at your own risk
The festival is not responsible for lost or stolen belongings
Keep items in a car or bring a dry bag onto the boat
Please only be on the Dock if:
A Staff Member has checked your team in and you are ready to load your boat.
If your team has members who are very late, you may still load your boat (upon Staff approval) and circle back to get them before practice ends.
If you are late, please check in with Staff first before heading down to the docks to be picked up by your team.
You are done with practice and returning your equipment. Please do not linger on the dock.
No running on the dock.
Practice Equipment:
You may use your own paddle and Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
PFDs must be US Coast Guard approved. No inflatables.
Rules of the River:
Stay close to shore. Do not linger in the middle of the river.
Do not race towards the boathouse
Always be aware of your surroundings and give way to other craft
There is parking at the practice location. However, parking is severely limited. We strongly advise that all practicing athletes use:
public transportation
ride share services
carpools
If you do choose to park your vehicle, please use Vassar Street and Memorial Drive (opposite side of the boat house). Please be aware that both these street's parking is metered. Please keep parking in front of the boat house clear for MIT staff.
Race practices are rain or shine. In the uncommon case in which practice is cancelled then the Festival will notify team captains/administrators via email and social media.
Lightning Protocol: If thunder is heard or lightning is seen while your team is on the water, your team is to immediately head back to the boathouse and wait for 30 minutes. If there is no more thunder/lightning during that time, then your team can head back out. If there is more thunder/lightning then the 30 minute wait resets each time.
Current ruling is no drones can take off or land on DCR property.
Specialty Race FAQ
Specialty Races:
Location: TBD
Date: June 13th, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM (first heat at start line ready to race)
Please arrive at least 1.5 hours prior to your racing time barring issues with parking. We are not responsible if you miss your heat. This will allow time for your team to warm up and your captain to obtain the team's wristbands.
Schedule
The Specialty Race schedule can be found on our website.
You may also navigate from our top menu:
Dragon Boating -> Race Schedule & Live Results
Captains Meetings
There will be 3 Captain Meetings throughout the day. This is to accommodate all the teams according to the Specialty Race schedule.
7:15AM - 1st Captain Meeting
9:20AM - 2nd Captain Meeting
12:00PM - 3rd Captain Meeting
Format
For 2026, the number of specialty divisions was 10: All Cancer Paddlers (ACP), Collegiate, Corporate, Community, Club, Finance, Health, University Alumni, Women, Youth.
All Teams will race two heats of 200 meters.
The average of your times from your 2 heats will be used to:
Qualify your team for Saturday's Specialty Race
Saturday's Specialty Race is a race among your Group ( Community, Women, Corporate...etc.)
Only the top 4 time trials performances of each Group make the Specialty Race.
Please bring the following:
Government-issued Identification (Captain ONLY)
We use your ID to verify your registration and give you your team's wristband for Race Day entry after confirming that your roster is accurate.
International students with visas or passports: If you do not want to bring your visas or passports, please have a clear photo of it on your cell phone.
Youths: School ID or photo of Birth Certificate on cell phone
Layered athletic clothing
Water Shoes, old sneakers, sandals
Sunglasses
Hat
Gloves
Waterproof bags/storage
Hydration
Sun Screen
Paddles ( if you have you own)
Life jacket (if you have your own)
Change of clothes & shoes
There is parking at the Specialty Race location. While it uses the same location as practice, parking is severely limited even more so as we have all teams at location. We strongly advise that all athletes use:
public transportation
ride share services
carpools
If you do choose to park your vehicle(s), we recommend nearby parking garages. If you must park close to the race site, please use Vassar Street and Memorial Drive (opposite side of the boat house). Note: these streets are mostly metered parking with a limit of 2 hours.
Please keep parking in front of the boat house clear for MIT staff.
Please arrive, with your team, at least 1.5 hours prior to your racing time barring issues with parking. We are not responsible if you miss your heat. This will allow time for your team to warm up and obtain your wristbands
Getting team wristbands (Captain ONLY)
Come to the Registration with your government-issued identification that matches your name on the Final Roster.
International Students: A photo of your government issue ID (passport, visa) on your cell phone is fine if you do not want to bring it.
Youth: A School ID or photo of Birth Certificate on phone.
No ID = No Wristband. No exceptions
Captain will sign-off on the Final Roster, confirming that it is accurate and all team members have signed waivers.
Captain will receive wristbands to distribute to their team members.
Captain, please tell your paddlers please do not take off the wristbands, they will need this to race on Sunday as well. They are waterproof so you can shower with them.
Replacement wristbands are $20 each.
No. We have changed the structure such that your Specialty Race (should your team qualify) will be run right after all teams in your Grouping (Women, Community, Corporate...etc.) have completed their heats.
If you have not qualified for the Specialty Race, you may leave immediately after your 2nd heat is complete.
If you have qualified for the Specialty Race, you may leave after your Specialty Race is complete.
Waiting Areas:
Please stay close to the MIT Boat House as best as you can. From your experience with the race practice, there are green areas in close vicinity. Please do not go to far as it will make it very tough for our volunteers to find you.
Please do not bring tents or portable grills on Specialty Race Day. Keep the walkway and the bike path clear.
Current ruling is no drones can take off or land on DCR property.
Race Day FAQ
Race Day Date
Location: John W. Weeks Bridge in Cambridge, MA
Date: June 14th, 2026
Time: 7:15 AM (first heat is at start line.)
For teams, we recommend coming 2 hours before your scheduled race time. Plan your time accordingly. We are not responsible if you miss your heat. This will allow time for your team to prep and warm up.
Race Site Map and Tent Assignments
The Race Site Map and Tent placements can be found on our public Google Drive.
Specific tent assignments will be sent to captains and co-captains via the provided email(s).
Racing Schedule
The Race Schedule can be found here on our website. You may also navigate from our top menu: Dragon Boating -> Race Schedule & Live Results
Captains Meeting
Race Day only has one Captains Meeting at 6:30AM.
Racing Format
All races on Sunday are 500 meter races. Your team will race a maximum of 3 times: Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals.
Teams may drop off their team's equipment on DeWolfe Street and exit on Cowperthwaite Street. You cannot exit on Memorial as it is closed.
For parking on race day, please plan to find parking at street meters (free on Sunday) and local garages near the John W. Weeks Footbridge. Harvard Square has a number of paid parking garages that are a 15 minute walk away.
We recommend bringing the following:
Team Items
Tent to fit your entire team (highly recommended)
Outdoor blanket
Trash bags
Snacks
Games
Personal Items
Wristband (mandatory)
If you lose/forget your wristband, it is a $20 dollar replacement
Camp chairs
Water for the day
Change of clothes
Hat
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hand wipes
Teams are prohibited from conducting sales of any items due to the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation regulations. If you wish to do so then please contact us about reserving a Vendor or Advertisement Booth.
We politely but firmly request that teams do not distribute free promotional materials.
Current ruling is no drones can take off or land on DCR property.
bottom of page