Our Dragon Boat Race Raises Record-Breaking £312,000

57 businesses from across the West Midlands took to the canal at Mailbox Birmingham on 17-18 September 2026 for our sixth annual Dragon Boat Race, raising a record-breaking £312,644 for both our Women’s and Children’s Hospitals, and bringing the event’s cumulative fundraising total to £1.4m.

The two-day event was sponsored by iconic sports apparel brand Gymshark, and saw the 57 teams battle it out through three heats of 200m races to determine each day’s top four teams. Determined by best combined fundraising total and racing score, the proud overall winner on the first day was the team from Jacobs, while taking the trophy on the second day was the team from Lounge Foundation. The title of fastest race winner for day one went to the speedy Intercity team, while fastest race winner on Friday was the mighty team from PJ Hegarty & Sons. The team with the highest fundraising total on day one of the race was AFH Wealth Management, with Deutsche Bank seizing the top fundraiser title on Friday.   

Mark Brider, CEO at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Our sixth consecutive Dragon Boat Race was our best yet, with 57 teams battling it out on the water over two amazing days of friendly competition and fantastic fundraising. We’re ecstatic our corporate partners and supporters have raised an incredible £312,644 this year.

“This year’s event will support both our hospitals, including our newly launched £1.5m MRI Appeal to bring an MRI to our Women’s Hospital, improving experiences for women and families.”

Cat Bromley, who leads Charity Partnerships at Gymshark, said: “The Dragon Boat Race is always a brilliant day, and we were really proud to be sponsoring it this year. It feels like a real full-circle moment for us, having helped get the very first Dragon Boat Race off the ground five years ago and seeing how much the event has grown since. 

“Birmingham is our home, so being able to rally the Gymshark team and other local businesses around a cause that will make such a tangible difference to women, babies and families in our community is really special.” 

Watch our video and check out the event in action.