The Boat Race

The traditional rowing race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge began in 1829 and now attracts around 250,000 spectators every year. The four-and-a-quarter mile course runs along the Thames from Putney to Mortlake and takes around 16 to 18 minutes (Cambridge holds the course record of 16 minutes 19 seconds, set in 1998). You can watch the race from the embankment on either side of the course, or there are big screens at Bishops Park, close to the start, and Furnival Gardens, just after Hammersmith Bridge, where you can follow the whole race. The Boat Race website has more detailed information for spectators, including a section on walking the course.