During the fall, there will be a few longer distance (5-6 kilometer) races that the team will attend. These are generally head races, where each boat will start along the same course, but spaced apart by a matter of seconds or minutes. These races are generally used to get a feel of racing on the water, and to test endurance in preparation for the main spring racing season. The spring season consists primarily of races over a 2,000 meter race course, starting around February. From there, the team will race every 1 or 2 weeks up until the national championships in May. A small number of select rowers may continue to race and compete until July. These 2 km races take place in an entirely straight race channel, each boat with its own lane, racing side by side.