On the 30th March 2024, the annual Boat Race between Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club is set to take place along the River Thames.

The race will kick off from Putney, and the competitors will row upstream to Mortlake. In total, the route spans 6.8 km of the River Thames, and is sure to be lined with spectators cheering on the respective teams.

First broadcast by the BBC in April of 1927, the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge has continued to hold a highly anticipated place in the sporting calendar. Not only are the two universities fierce academic rivals, but their competitivity stretches to rowing, too. Only once in 194 years has there been a dead heat- recorded in 1877.

Despite Oxford’s men’s team having managed to snatch the win from Cambridge back in 2022, in 2023’s races the University of Cambridge came home with a double win, having beaten Oxford in both the Men’s and Women’s races. In recent years, Cambridge has dominated the Women’s category.

This year, the cox of the Oxford men’s team will be William Denegri, while student Joe Gellet is to be cox of their women’s team.

Cambridge has also unveiled their teams for the blue boats of the 2024 for races. For the men’s and women’s races, Ed Bracey (student of Economics) and Hannah Murphy (student of Health, Medicine, and Society) will be coxing, respectively. Also on the Cambridge team is student Luca Ferraro, 2023 U23 World Champion in the GB rowing team.

If you are looking to watch the infamous race in person, then there are a variety of pubs on route which can offer a glimpse of the action. The Dukes Head pub offers a great view of the race’s start. Mary White, who spectated the race last year and plans to do the same for 2024, described the viewing experience as having a ‘thrilling atmosphere.’