The university boat race between Oxford and Cambridge is such a big deal in some circles that it is simply known as ‘The Boat Race’.  This race began in 1829 and has been held annually on the River Thames in London since 1856.  Interest in the race has expanded beyond university and academic interest and is now followed by the wider rowing community and the general public.  This one rowing race is probably one of the major reasons why people are buying rowing boats for recreational and fitness purposes, and storing them in carports all around England.

The numbers of people who watch this rowing event every year are simply staggering, with an estimated quarter of a million actually on the river banks, and around eight million watching on television just in the United Kingdom alone.  When all international viewers have been estimated and added up, the total is much larger, and has been estimated at anywhere between 20 and 120 million viewers worldwide.  Rowing events are also a very popular part of the Summer Olympic Games, with a few independent events also taking place at various times throughout the year.

Over the years, Cambridge have won the boat race a total of 79 times, and Oxford a total of 75 times, with a single dead heat having taken place.  The recent decade has been dominated by Oxford, who have won 8 out of the last 10 years.  There is a sense of real competition among the universities, and even though it is an amateur event – training schedules are gruelling, and are often six days a week for six months of the year.  Rowing requires a lot of equipment, with rowing boats stored in dedicated
competitive garages (Garagen) throughout the year, and taken out for maintenance and upgrades when necessary.

Although most interest is around the competition of the men’s eights, there are other men’s and women’s rowing events that also take place between the two universities.  The traditions and competition based around the Oxford and Cambridge boat race are long and proud, ensuring that this is one rowing event which is going to be around for some time to come.  It is likely that Oxford and Cambridge will continue racing on the River Thames for many years in the future, and will continue to influence the entire British and international boating scene as they are rowing along.