Rowing is one of the oldest sports in the world. It is claimed that the first rowing races were held on the Nile River in Egypt. In England, in the 16th century on the Thames River, the betting of the passengers on different boats led to rowing competitions, first spontaneously and later in an organized manner. The Dogget's Coat and Badge race, which has been held between boatmen every year since 1715, is considered the pioneer of the races held today. In the early 19th century, amateur rowing competitions emerged in England and later in the United States as a club and school event.

The first amateur rowing races were held in 1872. Professional rowing in the double category was a popular sport throughout the 19th century. Over time, races emerged spontaneously covering all kinds of boats. Regional and national rowing organizations of amateur and professional nature were formed in this period. In 1892, Belgium, Italy, France and Switzerland established the International Rowing Associations Federation (FISA), one of the world's first international sports federations. Women athletes have also started to participate in rowing races, which have been included in the Olympic program since the 1900 Paris Olympics, as of the 1976 Olympics.

The Oxford – Cambridge rowing races, considered the most rooted and colorful competition in rowing, started in 1829. In the United States, Harvard and Yale Universities laid the groundwork for a similar rivalry in 1852. The sport of rowing developed between 1830 and 1860 in the islands in the middle and south of the Pacific Ocean and in Canada. In the same period, it became widespread in all of Europe and the USA.

The Koç – Kadirhas rowing races, in other words The Golden Horn Friendship Cup rowing race, started in 2016. This year 10. race will start in front of Rahmi M. Koç Museum and end in front of Kadir Has University Cibali Campus. This is considered the most rooted and hard competition in university league rowing race in Turkey. Teams of eight men and a helmsman compete against each other. The current score of 6-3 continues under the leadership of Kadirhas University. However, we aim to be 6-5 in a very short time. This tradition came to our country from the Oxford-Cambridge races. This is a clear example of the impact of the rowing on our lives globally.