Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race

The Boat Race is an annual rowing race between the Oxford University and the Cambridge University on the river Thames. It is also known as the University Boat Race and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, or by a title that includes the name of its current sponsor (from 2016, the Cancer UK Boat Race having donated its sponsorship to the charity). The event is popular not just between undergraduates, but population too. It is estimated that a quarter of million of people see the race every year, and it is one of the most watched sporting events in history, almost 500.000 people followed up the race in 2004. The race is done with a length of 6779 meters (4 miles and 374 yards) from Putney to Mortlake, passing Barnes and Hammersmith. In her two boats involved eight with coxswain. The race is counter current done, but is scheduled to start one hour before the channel reaches its peak.

This tradition began in 1829, when Charles Merivale and Charles Wordsworth, a Cambridge students, challenged Oxford University to a boat race, but Cambridge lost easily. Over the first years, there was disagreement over where the race should be held, with Oxford preferring Henley and Cambridge preferring London. Following the official formation of the Oxford University Boat Club, racing between the two universities resumed on the Tideway and the tradition continues to the present day. At the beginning of the race, both teams shake hands, and at the end, the loser challenges the winner to a rematch annually. Members of both teams are traditionally known as blues, with Cambridge in light blue and Oxford dark blue. The race is for heavyweight eights, with no restrictions on weight or gender. There have been a number of female coxes – the first to appear in the Boat Race was Sue Brown for Oxford in 1981 – but in practice the rowers are always male. There are separate races restricted to women.

As a curiosity, it was made a movie about the race called “True Blue” in 1996, and  there is a similar race based in this boat race, the Goat Race at Spitalfields City Farm in East London.

There have been 162 official races in 185 years, of which Cambridge University has won 82 times, Oxford University has won 79 times, and the race has ended 1 times in dead heat.