Another year. Another Boat Race. Another opportunity for Oxford and Cambridge University to battle against each other on the Thames. Yet each year has its own individual magic with new crew members and cox, different weather conditions and random events and accidents that have occurred during the race which has lead to the victory of one of the two universities.
The Boat Race is a prestigious annual rowing race between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, rowed between men’s and women’s open-weight eights on the River Thames starting at Putney Bridge and ending at Chiswick Bridge. The men's race was first held in 1829 and has been held annually since the year of 1856, except during the First and Second World Wars.
As of 2019, Cambridge has won the men's race 84 times and Oxford 80 times, with one dead heat. Over 250,000 people watch the race from the banks of the river each year. A further 15 million or more watch it on television and so it not only attracts people globally but also brings together the local community creating an overall strong team spirit.
James, a local neighbour of the community commented how ‘the annual Boat Race is something extremely special, the fact that you are able to go and watch the sport without paying any money and furthermore that the crew members are not even paid themselves shows that great sport isn’t always all about money.’
Across the year, the Oxford and Cambridge crews trained 5 hours a day to prepare for the race and followed special diets to be in the best possible physical condition. On Sunday 7th April 2019, Cambridge comfortably beat Oxford University in what was not at all a close fought battle across the River Thames. Oxford will of course have felt disappointed after having trained so hard across the year for the harsh outcome of one ten minute race which could have gone either way. However, the year of 2020 is always another opportunity for the next crew!
Mary who is an extremely keen rower added that ‘the Boat Race is not only a chance to see some very exciting sport but is also a great way to spend time with family and friends.’
