United Kingdom Events and Festivals

3/01/2009 - 3/30/2009Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race

Known simply as the 'Boat Race', this world-famous competition between England's top two universities needs little introduction. The prestigious event dates back to 1829 when two friends, Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and Charles Wordsworth, a student at Harrow and nephew of the poet William Wordsworth who was at Oxford, suggested the challenge. It has taken place every year since, with the loser of the previous year's race challenging the winners to a rematch. The event has become an intrinsic part of Britain's cultural heritage. Each year, around 250,000 spectators line the banks of the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake to witness the spectacle, which is also screened live on British television and watched by an audience of over 7 million viewers.