What is the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge?
The Boat Race is an annual rowing race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, held on the River Thames in London. First held in 1829, it is one of the oldest sporting events in the world.
The race runs for about 4.2 miles, or 6.8 kilometres, between Putney and Mortlake in west London. This stretch of the Thames is known as the Championship Course.
Each boat has eight rowers and a cox, who steers and directs the crew. The Cambridge crew rows in light blue and the Oxford crew in dark blue.
Tradition and rivalry
The Boat Race is usually held in late March or early April. Hundreds of thousands of spectators line the riverbanks, and the race is broadcast on television.
The first race was held at Henley-on-Thames in 1829, after a challenge between two friends from the universities. The event moved to London in the 1840s and has been held almost every year since, except during the world wars and the COVID-19 pandemic.
A women's Boat Race has been held since 1927, and since 2015 it has been raced on the same day and course as the men's race. The rivalry between the universities has created many dramatic races, including a dead heat in 1877.