OLYMPIC rower Tim Foster will be among the competitors at tomorrow's Worcester Spring Regatta.

The 44-year-old, who won gold in the coxless fours alongside Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and James Cracknell in Sydney in 2000, will line up for Keble College Oxford in the men's senior eight on the River Severn.

He will be joined in the boat by New Zealander Storm Uru, a bronze medalist in the lightweight double sculls at London 2012 and also part of this year's triumphant Oxford University Boat Race team.

The pair will be among hundreds of rowers making up 215 crews for the popular event, which runs from 8.30am until 5.30pm.

Worcester have entered 32 crews, while there are also entries from the Evesham, Stourport and Bewdley clubs along with a host of junior squads.

For the first time in a decade, races will be contested over a 850-metre downstream course from the top of Pitchcroft to Sabrina Bridge, a change from the previous upstream course from the main city road bridge.

The switch has been made to bring the races into line with the distances of regattas such as Henley as well as provide plenty of space for spectators.

Regatta secretary Aidan Melarky said: "The regatta used to run this way but this is the first year we have changed it back. It's a good long course and most regattas are all downstream.

"If the weather is good, it gives us the entire racecourse along the banks for spectators and that was one of the reasons we decided to change it."