Every year a selection of rowing teams from the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club compete for bragging rights on the River Thames.
The two most prestigious universities in Britain spend all year training for the race, which takes place in spring. In 2017, the teams come together Sunday, April 2, watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators along the riverbanks.
Even if you have no connection to either university, or a particular interest in rowing as a sport, the boat race is a spectacle not to be missed. There are plenty of riverside pubs along the route, which runs for four miles from Putney to Mortlake in southwest London.
The race has been running since 1829, and it is generally a close-run event. Since its inception, Cambridge won 82 times to Oxford’s 79. In the women’s boat race, running for a shorter time, Cambridge leads with 41 wins to Oxford’s 30.
London is a great city to visit any time of year, and the boat race provides an extra attraction. Putney isn’t generally known as a tourist hot spot, but it is a charming part of town just over the river from Chelsea and Fulham.
If you are in London in early April, make sure you keep Sunday, April 2 free. The boat race is a great day out and gives visitors a chance to watch a peculiarly British tradition unfold.
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