Image Credit: robert_rowing_photos
Rowing is on the move once again – quite literally. Following a successful debut at the 2025 NKIR, the ‘Run Row Run’ presentation was on full display at the 2026 NWRV Indoor Cup in Germany. This CrossFit-inspired format – which involves a 75m sprint, a 750m row and then another 75m sprint – is gaining popularity with every outing. Pioneering the effort are a small group of rowing innovators, including RP3, led by Jan Lammers; Woodway, the German RP3 dealer and supplier of the Woodway treadmill used in the racing; and MoveLab, which provided the software.
Boris Orlowski, who leads marketing for the NWRV Indoor Cup, explained that the idea came to fruition after following the coastal rowing sprint format: “I followed the new Coastal Rowing Sprint competitions on the water with great enthusiasm this summer. Following the competitions, the German National Coastal Rowing Coach, Adrian Bretting, contacted me to ask if we could organise a Run-Row-Run event at the NWRV Indoor Cup in Kettwig in February. This new format, combined with the setup and atmosphere of “Germany’s No. 1 Ergo-Tempel,” would be a perfect fit.”
Although the idea was there, the execution required more support. “In September 2025, I sat down with Jan Lammers (RP3) and Dirk Schildhauer (Woodway) to discuss the idea for a run-row-run event. They were both immediately enthusiastic, and we set about making it happen,” explained Boris. “We held our first test competition at the Dutch Championships in Amsterdam in December. The race consisted of two 500-meter runs and a 1,000-meter row, which was clearly too long. We also had to work on visualising the competition for the spectators. MoveLab helped us with this development.”
Fast forward a couple of months, and a revamped format was debuted at the NWRV Indoor Cup in February 2026. “Things got serious in Kettwig,” said Boris. “Eight RP3 ergometers and eight Woodway treadmills were set up. We shortened the distances to two 75-meter runs and one 750-meter row. Each participant had to complete two time-trial runs within a very short period, and the times were added together. Afterwards, the final rankings were determined in a head-to-head competition.”
As with all new competitions, there were teething issues, not least concerns about ensuring that the treadmill data was captured and that a proper, interactive race format was created. “
“We worked with Movelab, and in less than one month of development, the first Run-Row-Run event was able to take place at the NKIR,” explained Dirk Schildhauer, Key Account Manager for RP3 at Woodway. “By the time the NWRV Indoor Cup came around, the race was even integrated into Time Team and displayed live on the big screens for spectators.”
It also became clear quite quickly that Woodway was a great option for the treadmills. “Together with Jan Lammers from RP3, we discussed whether a Woodway Curve could work,” commented Dirk. “That’s how we came up with the Woodway Curve LTG, which is priced attractively enough that rowing clubs could realistically consider such an investment. All participants thoroughly enjoyed the event, and the German coastal national team had nothing but praise. A former successful lightweight rower even travelled specifically to take part in the Run-Row-Run.”
How did the RP3 support this endeavour? Boris put it best: “In my opinion, the development of indoor rowing is unstoppable in the rowing world. The leading nations in world rowing are increasingly turning to the dynamic RP3 rowing machine because the movement/force curve is much closer to rowing on the water, making it an ideal training device during the cold, dark months.”
Jan Lammers, CEO of RP3 Rowing, said: “The Run Row Run format came to life when we discussed a new event to add to the NKIR (Dutch Indoor Championships), where our goal was to engage Hyrox athletes with an event that would resonate with them. To keep it closer to the rowing community and seeing the similarity with the beach sprints, we came up with this concept.”
After a conversation with Woodway, the proposal was to use the curved treadmill as the optimal tool for the running component, particularly because sprinting was far more effective on it, and its manual nature made it ideal for racing.
“Movelab developed the software to link with our existing racing app and found the right sensor to use,” said Jan. “Boris from NRW perfected the whole format by setting the distance to 75/750/75 meters, which made the whole event very exciting for the elite athletes and the audience.”
Dirk added to this: “The new dynamic at indoor rowing championships was primarily introduced with the transition from static rowing machines to the RP3. The movement is far more dynamic, much closer to on-water rowing, and even fitness athletes who had never experienced it before found it extremely enjoyable. Run-Row-Run is another fantastic addition and showcases the full spectrum of rowing, including the “new” Beach Sprint discipline.”
