Cambridge has dominated both the men’s and women’s races in recent years but has seen its preparation hampered by a row over eligibility

The 1877 Boat Race was declared a dead heat because, legend has it, finishing judge "Honest" John Phelps was blind in one eye and blind drunk too. In 2025 we have multiple Olympic medalists, international attention, and an ugly dispute between Cambridge and Oxford over the definition of a degree. It's come a long way.

This year sees the 170th Men’s Boat Race and the 79th Women’s Boat Race take place in London The banks of the River Thames will be packed this weekend as thousands of spectators come out to watch one of the world’s most historic sporting fixtures as rowing crews from Oxford and Cambridge Universities compete once again.