Headline Boat Races Set for Lenny Peters Cup at the High Point Autumn rowing Festival

Olympic Rowers Headline Impressive Field to Compete for Lenny Peters Cup

High Point University is among the collegiate teams that will race at Oak Hollow Lake.

HIGH POINT, N.C. — Bethany Bedical and the Lenny Peters Foundation announce a $160,000 sports sponsorship for the 2025 High Point Autumn Rowing Festival on Thursday. Funding raises the profile of the City of High Point in the sport of rowing world wide. 

Olympic rowers and collegiate rowing teams from across the globe will compete for the Lenny Peters Cup as part of the High Point Autumn Rowing Festival at Oak Hollow Lake’s Festival Park on Sunday, Oct. 5.

American Lauren O’Connor, who made her Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games, will headline the first women’s singles race against Germany’s Tabea Schendekehl and Ukraine’s Kateryna Maistrenko. O’Connor will represent Team USA at the 2025 World Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China, in late September before returning in time to compete in the Lenny Peters Cup.

Schendekehl won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and represented the World Dream Team that edged Team USA to win the Lenny Peters Cup in April. Maistrenko is a former Washington State rower who was a member of the Ukrainian crew that won the Lenny Peters Cup in 2023 and 2024.

On the collegiate side, the women's rowing teams from High Point University and Duke University will compete against England’s University of Oxford and Scotland’s University of Edinburgh in a series of races throughout the day before facing off in The Dash for the Lenny Peters Cup. Collegiate rowing club teams, youth rowing programs and adult rowers from across the region will race at the festival as well.

The annual rowing regatta, presented by Bethany Medical & the Lenny Peters Foundation, generates an estimated $1 million in local economic impact for the city of High Point and the surrounding area. The event has been underwritten primarily with sponsorship support of $160,000 from the Lenny Peters Foundation and Bethany Medical.

"We expect over 1,000 rowers and several thousand spectators at this year's regatta," said Gene Kininmonth, race director for the High Point Autumn Rowing Festival. “This annual event brings some of the world’s top rowers to the city of High Point, and we’re excited for spectators to watch this world-class field compete at Oak Hollow Lake.”

In addition to the races, food trucks and a beer garden called the Duck Bar will be available for spectators to enjoy. A best in show dog competition will also occur. Individuals are allowed to bring their dogs for free, but they must be on leashes and not aggressive.

For a more upscale experience, spectators can enjoy watching the races from the VIP Regatta Lounge, which opens at 8 a.m. on the day of the event. The lounge fee includes coffee, pastries, hot lunch, champagne or a signature cocktail and the best view of the races. Tickets are available on a limited, first-come-first-served basis here.

WHEN: Races will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. The regatta is free and open to the public. Parking is $10 per vehicle.

WHERE: 1841 Eastchester Drive, High Point, NC 27265

For more information, visit Lenny Peters Cup 

Contact Race Director Gene Kininmonth at 336-257-9009 or via email contact@triadunitedrowing.com