Introduction to the Boat Race
Sunday 13 April 2025 7:00 am
| Updated:
Friday 11 April 2025 1:00 pm
It’s that time of year again, when we flock to the banks of the Thames to watch Oxford and Cambridge in the Boat Race.
Crews have been warned not to throw their cox in the London river due to unsafe water, and fans will undoubtedly want to avoid the smell of the capital’s sewage.
But the race is an iconic event on the calendar, and this year the 79th women’s and 170th men’s regattas will take place.
This year the event is sponsored by Chanel with the luxury brand’s watch section branded across hoardings.
Boat Race Record
It is fair to say Cambridge are the favourites for both Boat Races this year.
They have won 87 men’s races while Oxford have won 81 – there has been one dead heat.
Cambridge has won 46 women’s Boat Races versus Oxford’s 30.
Last Five Years of the Boat Race
Men
| Year | Winner | Time | Winning Margin |
| 2019 | Cambridge | 16:57 | 1 length |
| 2021* | Cambridge | 14:12 | 1 length |
| 2022 | Oxford | 16:42 | 2+1⁄4 lengths |
| 2023 | Cambridge | 18:18 | 1+1⁄4 lengths |
| 2024 | Cambridge | 18:56 | 3+1⁄2 lengths |
*The 2021 Boat Race took place on the River Great Ouse near Ely, Cambridgeshire, between Queen Adelaide Bridge.
Women
| Year | Winner | Time | Winning Margin |
| 2019 | Cambridge | 18:47 | 5 lengths |
| 2021* | Cambridge | 16:29 | Almost a length |
| 2022 | Cambridge | 18:23 | 2+1⁄4 lengths |
| 2023 | Cambridge | 20:29 | 4+1⁄2 lengths |
| 2024 | Cambridge | 21:01 | 7 lengths |
*The 2021 Boat Race took place on the River Great Ouse near Ely, Cambridgeshire, between Queen Adelaide Bridge.
Boat Race Top Dogs
Bet365, at the time of writing, has a series of odds available for both races.
Women – starts 1:21pm
| Oxford Women | 10/3 |
| Dead Heat | 100/1 |
| Cambridge Women | 1/5 |
Men – starts 2:21pm
| Oxford Men | 2/1 |
| Dead Heat | 100/1 |
| Cambridge Men | 4/11 |
Route of the Boat Race
The course begins at Putney Bridge and concludes at Chiswick Bridge. The 6.8km Boat Race course was first used in 1845 with the Middlesex and Surrey stations (sides of the river) a key decision for crews to make.
Crews of the Boat Race
Men’s Boat Race crews
Oxford: Tom Sharrock, William O’Connell, Felix Rawlinson, Jamie Doran, Tassilo von Mueller, Tom Mackintosh, Nick Rusher, Nicholas Kohl, Tobias Bernard (cox)
Cambridge: Luca Ferraro, Noam Mouelle, Luke Beever, Gabriel Mahler, George Bourne, James Robson, Simon Hatcher, Douwe de Graaf, Ollie Boyne (cox)
Umpire: Sarah Winckless
Women’s Boat Race crews
Oxford: Sarah Polson, Lilli Freischem, Tessa Haining, Alexia Lowe, Sarah Marshall, Annie Anezakis, Kyra Delray, Heidi Long, Daniel Orton (cox)
Cambridge: Katy Hempson, Gemma King, Carys Earl,
