A record entry of 3203 competitors, aged between 10 and 84, are to take part in the 17th British Indoor Rowing Championship, at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on Sunday.

The championship, organised and underwritten by Concept2, is the largest indoor rowing race in the world. Its status testifies to the importance of indoor rowing as one of the fastest growing activities of the 21st Century.

The sport’s development is being overseen by Concept2, whose online schools league has reported a 55% increase in entries in 2007. A new indoor rowing challenge, launched this week in conjunction with the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, will involve 70,000 children in 250 schools in its inaugural year.

“Indoor rowing is great for youngsters, but offers something for everyone” said Mr Blair, whose Foundation is seeking support for indoor rowing programmes in 31 School Sport Partnerships in the North East.

A range of supporting programmes, across the UK, underline the growing reputation of indoor rowing as a modern sport that offers people of all ages and abilities the chance to adopt a healthy, active, lifestyle. It has the capacity to provide a cohesive solution to health, education and fitness issues, primarily in schools but also in the wider community.

Primary Care Trusts have already identified it as an effective method of combating childhood obesity and inactivity. It successfully targets those who do not take part in traditional PE programmes, including girls, the overweight, ethnic minorities and those with physical disabilities and learning difficulties.

Head teachers confirm that integrating it into the curriculum enables them to fulfil OFSTED criteria. Teachers have the opportunity to develop cross curricular links with ICT, Mathematics, Science and PSHE.

Indoor rowing improves cardiovascular fitness, can combat osteoporosis, and is conducted on equipment which works upper and lower body muscle groups simultaneously. New technology enables users to train and race online in a series of Leagues. More than 1,500,000 people in the UK use Concept2 machines on a weekly basis.

Concept2 provides training and education opportunities through a programme of instructor awards, school workshops, and workplace health schemes. Indoor rowing encourages activity in a range of sports, and is an effective talent identification tool. Concept2 will be sharing the experience of working with elite athletes in football and rugby union, in addition to such successful Olympic sports as cycling, sailing, rowing and triathlon.