This Sunday will see the annual Boat Race take place along the River Thames. This year will be the 159th Boat Race. The Boat Race is between the top rowers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The 4.2 mile race takes place on a section of the River Thames from Putney to Mortlake, and usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes to complete.
The first race ever held was in 1829, after two school friends - one went to Oxford, the other Cambridge - decided to set up a challenge. The event has been held annually since 1856 - except during World War I and World War II. The loser of the race traditionally challenges the winner to a rematch every year. It is one of the oldest sporting events in the world.
Both Cambridge and Oxford are called the Blue Boats, as they both chose shades of blue as their team colour - Oxford is dark blue, Cambridge is light. Cambridge has won the race 81 times, with Oxford winning 76 times - with one dead heat in 1877.
This year, Oxford will have the heavier crew. The Oxford crew weighed in at 757.6kg (excluding the cox) on Monday, at an average of 94.7kg, with Cambridge at 92.05kg for a total of 736.4kg. Oxford will be attempting to reverse the defeat by Cambridge in last year's disrupted Boat Race on the River Thames. Last years men's race was interrupted when a man swam into the boats' path. When the race restarted, Oxford suffered a broken oar in a clash and Cambridge went on to win by over four lengths. Race organisers have promised additional safety measures for this year's race in an attempt to avoid any disruption.
If you're not in London this Sunday, specifically between Putney and Mortlake, you can watch the event live on BBC One and online from 3:15pm.
OISE Oxford wishes the Oxford team all the very best!
Top Boat Race Facts
The first race ever held was in 1829, after two school friends - one went to Oxford, the other Cambridge - decided to set up a challenge. The event has been held annually since 1856 - except during World War I and World War II. The loser of the race traditionally challenges the winner to a rematch every year. It is one of the oldest sporting events in the world.
Both Cambridge and Oxford are called the Blue Boats, as they both chose shades of blue as their team colour - Oxford is dark blue, Cambridge is light. Cambridge has won the race 81 times, with Oxford winning 76 times - with one dead heat in 1877.
This year, Oxford will have the heavier crew. The Oxford crew weighed in at 757.6kg (excluding the cox) on Monday, at an average of 94.7kg, with Cambridge at 92.05kg for a total of 736.4kg. Oxford will be attempting to reverse the defeat by Cambridge in last year's disrupted Boat Race on the River Thames. Last years men's race was interrupted when a man swam into the boats' path. When the race restarted, Oxford suffered a broken oar in a clash and Cambridge went on to win by over four lengths. Race organisers have promised additional safety measures for this year's race in an attempt to avoid any disruption.
If you're not in London this Sunday, specifically between Putney and Mortlake, you can watch the event live on BBC One and online from 3:15pm.
OISE Oxford wishes the Oxford team all the very best!
Top Boat Race Facts
- Every member of the Boat Race crews trains for approximately two hours for every stroke in the race. It takes about 600 strokes to complete the course - so that works out at 1,200 hours over six months, training seven days a week.
- It is traditional for the winning team to throw their Cox - the team member who sits facing the rowers and coordinates their movements - into the river to celebrate their victory.
- It is an unique sporting event, watched by millions worldwide on TV.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rowing/21658242
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boat-race-2013-10-fascinating-1789458
http://theboatrace.org/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boat-race-2013-10-fascinating-1789458
http://theboatrace.org/
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