In Putney, the heart of rowing beats here.
Walking in Thames Path (especially on the weekend) you will come across hundreds and hundreds of people in their gear, carring their boats down to the river to have their rowing training. Women and men of all ages, children, groups or solo trainees, they all enjoy the calm waters of River Thames.
The Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race
The Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race is an iconic British event, attracting hundreds and thousands of spectators each year, and many more who watch it on TV in their homes and pubs around the UK.
Stretching out between Putney and Mortlake is a gruelling 4.25 mile course along the Thames with a whole lot of history – and a healthy dose of uni rivalry thrown in for good measure.
It’s believed that the origins of the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race stem from two friends who had previously attended Harrow School together.
Charles Wordsworth (yes, that’s William Wordsworth’s nephew) attended Christ Church College in Oxford, while Charles Merivale was studying at St. John’s, Cambridge. The men met up when Wordsworth decided to row on the Cam and, following this, the two school pals thought that it would be fun to set up a challenge.
On the 10th February 1829, the Cambridge University Boat Club made the request that Mr Snow of St John’s would write to Mr Staniforth of Christ Church, stating:
‘The University of Cambridge hereby challenge the University of Oxford to row a match at or near London, each in an eight-oared boat during the ensuing Easter vacation.’
It was then decided that the first Boat Race would happen on the 10th June that very year at Henley on Thames. In fact, Oxford won this race by a mile, and you can actually view the boat in Henley’s River & Rowing Museum.
Thereafter the races took place intermittently, eventually moving to London for the grand debacle we all know and love in 1836.
So far Cambridge holds the record for the fastest finish. The record was set in 1998 and is a zippy 16 minutes 19 seconds.
About The Course
Nicknamed The Championship Course, The Boat Race course is kind of a big deal.
Exactly the same route has been used since 1845 – except for a few dates when the race was flipped on its head and held in the opposite direction.
There are two University Boat Race Stones: one on Putney Embankment, which marks the starting spot; and another stone on the bank at Mortlake, marking the finish line.
The whole race should take about 15 – 20 minutes.