Dragon Boat Training: Moving Beyond the Ergo(Metrics)

expalDragon boat teams competing at the IDBF World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, 2025, showcasing a vibrant, competitive event with multiple crews racing in the water.
Sharyn O’Halloran
 
A Growing International Sport

Dragon boating has developed from a traditional festival into a competitive worldwide sport. The Recent 17th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Championships (Brandenburg, Germany, 2025) and significant regional events confirm its growth:

    • The recent world championships were the largest IDBF event ever. Nearly 4,000 athletes representing 33 countries across 1,288 crews were supported by 700 participants.

    • Record-breaking participation led organizers to expand the race program, with entries nearly double those of the 2023 championships.

    • Regional enthusiasm reinforces global interest. Hong Kong’s international races attract over 4,500 athletes across 190 teams. Canada’s festivals see more than 200 crews and attract over 75,000 spectators.

      These milestones underscore that dragon boating is a fast-growing, culturally rich, competitive sport gaining traction worldwide.

Who’s in the Boat?

Unlike many popular sports, dragon boating attracts older athletes—especially those transitioning from rowing, swimming, triathlon, or other endurance sports. Its inclusive team spirit provides community and competition without requiring early specialization.

Event / Region Participation Highlights
2025 IDBF World Championships (Germany) 4,000 athletes, 1,288 crews, 33 countries, designated senior categories
Hong Kong International Races Over 4,500 athletes, 190 teams
Vancouver (Canadian Festival) 200+ crews, 75,000+ spectators

While detailed demographics are not routinely published, secondary sources show that dragon boating is an inclusive sport. Globally, participation is estimated at about 60% men and 40% women, with athletes ranging from teens to their 80s. In Brandenburg, Germany, the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) recognized several racing categories for older athletes. These include “Senior A” (40+), “Senior B” (50+), and “Senior C” (60+), ensuring older athletes are structurally included in competition. This framework confirms dragon boating as a rare multi-generational, mixed-gender sport where participation extends across age and gender.

Uneven Training Across Clubs

Despite its rapid expansion, dragon boating still lacks standardized training protocols. Some clubs emphasize structured conditioning, technical drills, and periodization; others rely on shortcuts based on tradition or convenience. For example, some teams rigidly enforce a single-stroke method, ignoring crew composition or racing circumstances. On the ground, this often means training is limited to water sessions alone, without strength and endurance work. The result is a narrow focus on form repetition and seat time, rather than the balanced athletic development needed to raise performance standards.

One of the most common shortcuts is using ergometers (Ergs) for time trials and testing. While ergometers provide measurable outputs and consistency, their role in crew selection and athlete assessment remains controversial. As Dragon Analytics’ Mark Fogliani pointed out, erg performance does not reliably translate to on-water performance because paddling is a closed-chain movement (the paddle is fixed). In contrast, the erg work is open-chain (the paddler is fixed). The article warns that “however ‘good’ you get on the ergo, this will have no direct translation to how fast you are on the water other than from a fitness and base technique perspective.”

A dragon boat team competing in a race on a river. The crew is primarily composed of older male and female athletes, demonstrating teamwork and athleticism as they paddle together, with a lush landscape and cloudy sky in the background.

Closed vs. Open-Chain Movements in Dragon Boat Paddling

This mismatch raises questions about the erg’s fitness for purpose. On-water paddling is a closed-chain movement, like a pull-up, where the body moves against a fixed point. Meanwhile, erg training is an open-chain exercise, like a lat pulldown, where the paddle or handle moves toward the body. This discrepancy means erg performance often fails to accurately predict efficiency and speed on the water. The diagram below illustrates this point. 

Diagram illustrating the difference between closed-chain paddling in dragon boat racing and open-chain paddling on an ergometer, highlighting the fixed paddle blade in water versus the free-moving handle.

This difference in movement pattern — closed-chain on the water versus open-chain on the erg — means the muscles are recruited in opposite directions. This is why erg scores do not readily translate into observed boat speed or efficiency.

Training on an ergometer can also distort stroke mechanics. Ergs reward artificially long strokes, boosting scores but reinforcing habits that do not translate to real-time stroke efficiency. Unfortunately, the intensive erg training required to achieve competitive scores is linked with a higher risk of injuries, particularly in the lower back, knees, and hips. 

Furthermore, unlike the ethos of inclusivity the IDBF has sought to establish, the erg favors taller and larger paddlers, at the expense of lighter ones, who can use their mass to generate greater power. As I will discuss in my next blog post, this bias toward size and mass can be a handicap.  All else being equal, smaller paddlers produce greater speed and efficiency than larger paddlers, especially over longer distances.  Below is a summary of the common statements on using erg scores to evaluate performance.

 

Claim Evidence Supporting Claim
Erg scores do not equate to on-water efficiency/power Ergs = open-chain, paddling = closed-chain → different recruitment; machine stroke mechanics differ; oartec.com
Erg technique is misaligned with boat performance Ergs reward long strokes that don’t exist in real paddling; dragonboat.house
Injury risk (hips, knees, low back) Rowing studies: erg use strongly linked to low-back, knee, and hip pain and overuse injuries (activesafe.ca, bjsm.bmj.com)
Bias toward taller/heavier athletes Taller = longer stroke, heavier = more absolute power; widely acknowledged in rowing/erg contexts.
Useful training/testing tool in moderation Ergs enable off-water training, consistent fitness comparisons, and data collection for conditioning.

Conclusion: Finding Alter `Ergo(Metrics)’

To help dragon boating develop as a sport, we can consider a balanced, comprehensive training approach:

  • Strength and weight training to build physical resilience and prevent injuries.
  • Endurance exercises (like running, cycling, swimming) for race stamina and cardiovascular health.
  • Dragon Boat O-1s or small boats for refining individual techniques on the water.
  • Resistance training in boats (drag paddles, bungee resistance, section paddling, and seat work) to mimic load conditions in water.
  • On-water time trials can be conducted thoughtfully to reduce environmental variability.
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💡 For a deeper look at the community and teamwork that make dragon boating unique, see the TEDx talk “Dragon Boating: More Than Just a Sport”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LIZU4RVTo&t=234s

References

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue — Being Seen When None Remember

by VE Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, a book about a woman no one remembers, is a book you won’t forget.  The tale traverses lifetimes and places and speaks to the heart’s wishes.  It is a story of a woman’s struggle to be seen in a world where she is never remembered and unvalued.  

When a young girl deals with a stranger to leave her small village and be as if she never existed, the consequences are not as Addie would have hoped.  The phrase careful what you wish for because you may get it, rings true to this story.  In exchange for gaining her wish, the stranger requests her companionship.  Addie refuses.

What unfolds is a young woman making her way in a world where she is friendless, has no home, and everyone she knows is gone.  Throughout it all, Addie does what it takes to survive.  

The most profound part of Addie’s journey is not the degrading situations she endures but that no one ever remembers her.  History never remembers Addie; her life is without purpose or impact.  The book’s triumph is that despite her invisibility, Addie finds a way to be seen.  

Sharyn O’Halloran 

Time to Start

I am restarting my blog about things I do.

Awaken starts off with an average 20-something woman struggling to find their way. What seems like an average person, stuck in an average career, with an average chance to pay off their student loans in their lifetime, gets an exceptional boon of almost $4 million.  

Of course, the money is the catalyst that sets the main character on the path to find her true identity, a member of the fabled fae. Her birth land, of course, is a metaverse, connected to this universe through a portal, the living tree, in Western Ireland.  

Once you have decided to put what you know aside and accept Nora’s facts to be accurate, it is a beautiful ride, rolling through the hills of Ireland and beyond.

Sharyn O’Halloran

The Unique Bodily Demands of an Ultramarathon

Ultramarathon pic
Ultramarathon
Image: active.com

Since 1993, Sharyn O’Halloran has been an instructor at Columbia University, where she currently serves as a George Blumenthal professor of political economy. During her free time, Sharyn O’Halloran participates in distance running, and has run multiple ultramarathons.

The ultramarathon, a race exceeding 26.2 miles and often extending as far as 50 or 100 miles, makes unique demands on the body. Ultramarathons cannot be approached like a normal marathon, where runners maintain a reasonably consistent pace throughout, and spend as much as 85 percent of the race at their maximum heart rate. Ultramarathon runners typical spend close to half the race at that level of intensity, but may also walk or hike regularly. The more varied terrain can cause injuries as well, which range from blisters to stress fractures.

The nutrient intake during an ultramarathon route also differs from a conventional marathon. Because these races can last as much as a full waking day, aid stations stock more than just water, sports drinks, and gel. Substantial food such as burgers, burritos, and sandwiches, and even calorie-dense fare like candy and soda, can often be found at these aid stations. Runners rely on both salty and sweet foods as a means of retaining water and rebuilding energy during an ultramarathon.

The Course of the New York City Marathon

 

New York City Marathon pic
New York City Marathon
Image: tcsnycmarathon.org

An authority on political science, Sharyn O’Halloran serves as a professor at Columbia University. She is both a George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics and a professor of international and public affairs. Outside of her career, Sharyn O’Halloran is a distance runner who has completed a number of organized races, including the New York City Marathon.

The 48th New York City Marathon took place on November 4, 2018. Long regarded as the standard for marathons in major metropolitan areas around the world, the New York City Marathon traverses all five boroughs of the city.

The 2018 marathon began on Staten Island and finished in Manhattan’s iconic Central Park. Beginning with its most challenging section, the course undergoes a rise in elevation of more than 150 feet as it traverses the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

From that point on, the majority of the course becomes relatively flat. However, runners encounter significant climbs near the end of the race as they reach the Queensboro Bridge and traverse downtown Manhattan.

Love and Ruin Reimagines Hemingway’s Spanish Love Story

Ernest Hemingway pic
Ernest Hemingway
Image: biography.com

Columbia University academic Sharyn O’Halloran pursues her research interest in American politics and political methodology as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economy. Outside of her work, Sharyn O’Halloran lists reading historical fiction as one of her favorite pastimes.

Love and Ruin is the second novel by historical-fiction writer Paula McLain that centers on Ernest Hemingway’s legendary turbulent relationships. The book begins in the late 1930s in the midst of the Spanish Civil War, where Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, a journalist and aspiring writer, travel to together to cover the fighting. The novel follows how the bond between the two writers intensifies from platonic friendship to a romantic relationship that eventually becomes Hemingway’s third marriage.

McLain used Gellhorn’s own words, harvested from the famed war correspondent’s personal letters and writings, to tell a fictionalized version of Gellhorn’s affair with the writer. The author describes Gellhorn’s difficulty reconciling her ambitions with the needs of her successful but antagonistic husband after the couple’s move to the idyllic setting of 1940s Havana.

Legal Services Offered by the Legal Action Center

Legal Action Center pic
Legal Action Center
Image: lac.org

Since 1997, Sharyn O’Halloran has held several professorial positions with Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She now serves as the senior vice dean for the university’s School of Professional Studies. Sharyn O’Halloran has been published in a number of academic journals, including the American Journal of Political Science and the Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization. She is an active volunteer with the Legal Action Center based in New York City.

Since 1973, the Legal Action Center (LAC) has provided legal advocacy and representation for people facing discrimination due to their HIV/AIDS status, criminal record, or addiction. In addition to creating education programs for policymakers and developing research projects that analyze the impact of public policies, the LAC offers direct services to its clients.

The LAC provides representation and legal counsel free of charge to New Yorkers who are illegally barred from accessing housing and employment or denied other rights. Some of its services include filing complaints of discrimination with the appropriate agency and appealing denials for occupational licenses or public housing due to the applicant’s criminal history.

The New York Road Runners Five-Borough Series

NYRR pic
NYRR
Image: NYRR.org

The recipient of a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of California San Diego, Sharyn O’Halloran is an experienced professor who has taught at Columbia University since 1993. An avid runner, Sharyn O’Halloran has completed all five races of the New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) Five-Borough Series.

The Five-Borough Series is comprised of the United Airlines NYC Half, the Popular Brooklyn Half, the NYRR Queens 10K, the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, and the NYRR Staten Island Half. The 2019 series begins on March 19 with the half marathon in New York City. The half marathon begins in Brooklyn before moving across the Manhattan Bridge, through Times Square, and concluding in Central Park. The dates for the other four runs have yet to be determined, but participants can expect to run past iconic New York sights, such as Coney Island’s boardwalk, Yankee Stadium, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

The last of the five runs is the NYRR Staten Island Half, which celebrates what’s special and unique about the community as participants run through a course overlooking the New York Harbor and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. The half marathon also serves as an ideal tune-up race for the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon.

NYRR members who have completed at least four events in 2018 earn automatic entry into the United Airlines NYC Half.

New York Appleseed Celebrates the Passing of the D15 Diversity Plan

New York Appleseed pic
New York Appleseed
Image: nyappleseed.org

Drawing upon 25 years of experience, Sharyn O’Halloran is a professor of political economics at Columbia University. She is also an author whose work has earned her awards and grants from the National Science Foundation, Hoover Institution, and Russell Sage Foundation. Sharyn O’Halloran’s educational pursuits extend to the nonprofit sector, as she is a supporter of New York Appleseed, an organization that advocates for more diverse schools and communities throughout the state.

This past September, Appleseed representatives stood with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city officials as they announced the approval of a plan to encourage and facilitate an increase in diversity at 11 middle schools in Brooklyn’s Community School District 15. Prior to the approval of the community-driven plan, District 15 was a choice school district, which meant none of its schools served a specific geographical area; 10 of the 11 schools utilized a screened admissions method that favored privileged students.

However, the new desegregation plan includes a proposal to remove academic-based screening from each of those middle schools and a measure to set aside 52 percent of enrollment to children from low-income families, as well as those learning to speak English. De Blasio also announced the City was putting aside an additional $2 million to launch similar desegregation programs in other districts.

The EPSA and Its Annual Conference Promote Political Science

European Political Science Association pic
European Political Science Association
Image: epsanet.org

An experienced political science and public affairs professional, Sharyn O’Halloran serves as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics at Columbia University. Possessing more than two decades of experience, Sharyn O’Halloran has authored dozens of publications and spoken at numerous conferences, including the European Political Science Association (EPSA) Conference.

Founded in 2010, the EPSA promotes political science in Europe, fosters the development of postgraduate training for political science professionals, and supports international networking among political scientists. In addition, the organization publishes a journal called Political Science Research and Methods.

EPSA hosts an annual conference for political scientists, the first held in Dublin, Ireland, in 2011. Since its founding, the annual conference has been held in various cities throughout Europe, including Barcelona and Berlin. The most recent was in Vienna, Austria, in June. At the event, attendees were given opportunities to discuss their work, network with other professionals, and enjoy the city.