Capital gears up for Boat Race

The historic Boat Race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge will once again be taking place this Saturday, March 29th.

Every year, spectators line the banks of the River Thames in a bid to catch a fleeting glimpse of the rowers as they traverse the four-and-a-quarter mile long route through the capital.

The upstream race takes the sportsmen on a gruelling trek from Putney in south-west London to Mortlake, passing through Chiswick, Kew, Hammersmith and Barnes.

It is one of the most famous sporting events in the capital and was first held in 1829. Given the high spectator turn-out and limited riverside space, organisers will set up two large screens at Bishops Park and Furnival Gardens near Hammersmith Bridge.

Last year's victors were Cambridge, but in the past six years Oxford have come out on top twice as many times as their opponents so pundits insist there is no firm favourite for this year's race.

News posted on 25th March, 2008