The 2025 Boat Races between Oxford and Cambridge take place today in one of Britain’s most iconic sporting events. Oxford will be out for revenge on the four-mile stretch on the River Thames after Cambridge won the double in the past two years. But ahead of this year’s race, there have been concerns over the safety of the water, with rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave the latest to voice his concerns.
Both Boat Races are taking place on Sunday, April 13. The women’s race starts at 1.20pm, with the men’s race to follow at 2.20pm.
The Boat Race will take place on the Championship Course on the River Thames in London. Crews will start at the Putney Bridge and row upstream 6.8km to the finish just before the Chiswick Bridge, passing notable landmarks like Craven Cottage stadium and Fuller’s Brewery. This route has been used for every single Boat Race since 1845 aside from three occasions when the race was held in the opposite direction and in 2021 when it was held on the River Great Ouse in Ely due to Covid restrictions.
More than 300,000 people are expected to line the banks of the Thames to watch the race. You can also spectate from Putney Bridge, Chiswick Bridge, Hammersmith Bridge, and Barnes Bridge, but be warned access to the latter two will be closed from 10am. If you fancy a slightly more comfortable viewing spot, there are fanzones in Fulham and Hammersmith which are free to enter, as well as many riverside pubs including the Blue Boat and the Old Ship, but you’ll have to book your place in advance.
Oxford’s crews – who compete in dark blue – are stacked with Olympians including Heidi Long, who won bronze with Team GB in the women’s eight at Paris 2024, and Tom Mackintosh, who won gold in the men’s event for New Zealand at Tokyo 2020. Cambridge’s crew – who compete in light blue – features several notable names from victories past including Gemma King, who will compete in her seventh Boat Race, and two-time winners Noam Mouelle and Luca Ferraro.
Oxford Women’s Team: Daniel Orton (Cox), Heidi Long (Stroke), Kyra Delray, Annie Anezakis, Sarah Marshall, Alexia Lowe, Tessa Haining, Lilli Freischem, Sarah Polson (Bow).
Cambridge Women’s Team: Jack Nicholas (Cox), Samy Morton (Stroke), Tash Morrice, Claire Collins, Carys Earl, Annie Wertheimer, Sophia Hahn, Gemma King, Katy Hempson (Bow).
Oxford Men’s Team: Tobias Bernard (Cox), Nico Kohl (Stroke), Nick Rusher, Tom Mackintosh, Tass von Mueller, James Doran, Felix Rawlinson, Will O’Connell, Tom Sharrock (Bow).
Cambridge Men’s Team: Ollie Boyne (Cox), Douwe de Graaf (Stroke), Simon Hatcher, James Robson, George Bourne, Gabriel Mahler, Luke Beever, Noam Mouelle, Luca Ferraro (Bow).
You can watch the Boat Races on BBC One or stream live on BBC iPlayer with coverage set to begin at 12.20pm.
There have been 169 Men’s Boat Races since the first event in 1829, with Cambridge winning 87 to Oxford’s 81, with the 1877 race the only to be declared a dead heat. Since the first event in 1927, there have been 78 Women’s Boat Races, with Cambridge way ahead in the overall head-to-head score (48-30). Cambridge have been the more successful team of late, winning four of the last five men’s races and the last seven women’s events.
The build-up to today’s Boat Race has been beset by controversy. Oxford insisted that Tom Ford, a gold-medal winner from last year’s Paris Olympics, was ineligible to row for Cambridge because he started his undergraduate degree more than 12 years ago. The dispute included five other potential Cambridge rowers, all of whom Oxford said are ineligible to row. James Cracknell, writing exclusively for Telegraph Sport, said: “The situation does not surprise me because there is a bizarre level of pettiness between the two universities.”
In lighter news, the tradition of throwing the winning cox into the Thames will be revived today. Last year the water was deemed too dirty to risk the stunt, but a new £5 billion “super sewer” has cut the amount of sewage entering the river. The men’s Boat Race was first raced in 1829 and now spans 196 years of rivalry. The women’s event first took place in 1927. The 2025 Boat Race will be the 170th time that Oxford and Cambridge’s men have raced against each other and the 79th time the women’s crews have done so.
In conclusion, the excitement is palpable as the two storied universities face off once again on the Thames. With a vibrant atmosphere expected and a fierce rivalry at stake, today’s races promise to deliver thrilling action and unforgettable moments.
