About the course

The Boat Race course is just one small part of the Tideway – the tidal stretch of the Thames that reaches down from Teddington Lock through central London to the open sea. For hundreds of years the Tideway has been the venue for great rowing events, including Dogett’s Coat and Badge, the oldest sculling race in the world, while the Championship Course between Putney and Mortlake has been home to the Boat race every year since 1845.

The tides that mark this stretch of the Thames mean that the line of the fastest stream varies according to the level of water in the river, as well as wind and weather. The bends in the river mean that different parts of the course are exposed to winds from different directions which adds further mystery to the unpredictable conditions. The race is generally held on the incoming ‘flood’ tide, one hour before high water at Putney. This means the crews will race against the stream, but with the flow of the tide, and the cox of each crew will spend many hours working with professional Thames watermen, past coxes and specialist coxing coaches to learn where their best course may lie on Race Day.

For more information about the River Thames, please click here