The Championship Course
Encyclopedia
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
between Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
and Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is a well-established course for rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
races, most famously the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
. It is often referred to as The Championship Course. The course is on the tidal reaches of the river often referred to as the Tideway
Tideway
The Tideway is a name given to the part of the River Thames in England that is subject to tides. This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock and is just under long...
.
History
In 1845 it was agreed to stage the Boat Race (which had on five previous occasions been contested from Westminster BridgeWestminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
to Putney) on a course from 'Putney Bridge to Mortlake church tower'. The aim was to reduce the interference from heavy river traffic on the race.
The following year, a race for the Professional World Sculling Championship moved to the course for the first time. The Wingfield Sculls followed in 1861.
The course was later defined by two stones on the southern bank of the river, marked "U.B.R." for University Boat Race; one just downstream of Chiswick Bridge
Chiswick Bridge
Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on...
, close to The Ship public house, and the other just upstream of Putney Bridge
Putney Bridge
Putney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:...
. The course distance is 4 mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s and 374 yard
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
s (6,779 m), as measured along the centre of the river's stream.
Races are always conducted in the same direction as the tide: from Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
on an ebb tide or from Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
on a flood tide.
Since the Boat Race moved to this course in 1845, it has always been raced on a flood tide from Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
except in 1846, 1856 and 1863. The Wingfield Sculls is also raced from Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
to Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
. Most other events race on an ebb tide from Mortlake
Mortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
.
In April 1869 the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Boat Club challenged Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
to an "International University Boat-Race" of coxed fours on the Boat Race
The Boat Race
The event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
course. The event took place on August 27, 1869 and was narrowly won by Oxford. The new Atlantic cable allowed daily reports to be received by all major newspapers across America within 23 minutes of the finish. U.S. public interest in the event was huge with more publicity than any sporting event to date, and within two years of the event the "newly awakened interest in rowing at many of the most noted seats of learning" doubled the number of boat clubs in the U.S., and lead to the formation of the Rowing Association of American Colleges
Rowing Association of American Colleges
The Rowing Association of American Colleges is considered to be the very first collegiate athletic organization in the country. Upon organization by the captains of the leading crews of the day, they devised a primary rule of eligibility: that only undergraduate students should be eligible to...
.
Landmarks
Principal landmarks, often used when racing, include (in order from MortlakeMortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
to Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
):
| Landmark | Bank | Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University Stone | South | 51.472861°N 0.268151°W |   Chiswick Bridge Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. One of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London, it carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on... . |
| Stag Brewery | South | 51.470474°N 0.266376°W |  Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch) Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world... beer. |
| Barnes Railway Bridge | n/a | 51.472736°N 0.253758°W |  |
| The Bandstand | North | 51.476572°N 0.252149°W |  |
| The Crossing | n/a | 51.47879°N 0.250583°W | Marks the start of the long Surrey bend. |
| Chiswick Pier | North | 51.482452°N 0.250937°W |  |
| Chiswick Eyot Chiswick Eyot Chiswick Eyot is a small, narrow, uninhabited ait in the River Thames. It is on the Tideway near Chiswick, in the Borough of Hounslow, London, England, and has an area of .... |
North | 51.487596°N 0.245814°W |  |
| Fuller's Brewery | North | 51.487182°N 0.250411°W |  |
| St Paul's School | South | 51.488983°N 0.235855°W |  |
| Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a crossing of the River Thames in west London, just south of the Hammersmith town centre area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on the north side of the river. It allows road traffic and pedestrians to cross to Barnes on the south side of the river... |
n/a | 51.488129°N 0.230536°W |  |
| Harrods Harrods Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air... ' Furniture Repository |
South | 51.484633°N 0.227956°W |  |
| The Crabtree | North | 51.482041°N 0.223482°W |  |
| The Mile Post | South | 51.47852°N 0.226987°W |  Steve Fairbairn Steve Fairbairn was a rower and an influential rowing coach, notably at Jesus College Boat Club, Cambridge University, Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club in the early decades of the 20th century.-Early life:... , founder of the Head of the River Race Head of the River Race The Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4.25 mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:... . It was erected by members of Jesus College Boat Club (Cambridge) Jesus College Boat Club (Cambridge) Jesus College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Jesus College, Cambridge. Over the years, it has been consistently successful, with the 1st Men's VIII never having dropped below 12th place in the May Bumps and 11th position in the Lent Bumps... , Thames Rowing Club Thames Rowing Club Thames Rowing Club is a rowing club situated on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1860.-Club colours:Red, white and black in stripes, the white stripe lying between the red and black and being of half their width.... and London Rowing Club London Rowing Club London Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh.... and is precisely a mile from the Putney stone marking the end of the course. |
| Fulham Football Club | North | 51.474895°N 0.221655°W |  |
| The Black Buoy | South | 51.471211°N 0.221132°W |  |
| The Putney Stone | South | 51.467319°N 0.213756°W |  Putney Bridge Putney Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Thames in west London, linking Putney on the south side with Fulham to the north. Putney Bridge tube station is located near the north side of the bridge.-History:... . |
Events
- Boustead CupBoustead CupThe Boustead Cup is an annual rowing race held over the Championship Course in London, England, between men's eights from Thames Rowing Club and London Rowing Club....
(February/March) - Women's Eights Head of the River RaceWomen's Eights Head of the River RaceThe Women's Eights Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney....
(March) - Schools' Head of the River RaceSchools' Head of the River RaceThe Schools' Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race organised by Westminster School, held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney....
(March) - Head of the River RaceHead of the River RaceThe Head of the River Race is a processional rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the 4.25 mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:...
(March/April) - Veterans HeadVeterans HeadThe Vesta Veterans International Eights Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames over the Championship Course. The direction in which the event is raced changes from year to year, dependent on the time of the tides: some years it is raced from Mortlake to Putney...
(March) - Oxford and Cambridge Boat RaceThe Boat RaceThe event generally known as "The Boat Race" is a rowing race in England between the Oxford University Boat Club and the Cambridge University Boat Club, rowed between competing eights each spring on the River Thames in London. It takes place generally on the last Saturday of March or the first...
(March/April) - Wingfield Sculls (October/November)
- Head of the River FoursHead of the River FoursThe Fuller's Head of the River Fours is a processional rowing race held annually on the Tideway of the River Thames in London on the 4¼ mile Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.-History:...
(November) - Scullers HeadScullers HeadThe Scullers Head of the River Race is a rowing race held annually on the River Thames Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney, open to single scullers only.The Scullers Head was first raced in 1954 when it was won by John Marsden...
(November/December)
Rowing Clubs Along the Course
- Tideway Scullers SchoolTideway ScullersTideway Scullers School is a rowing club located on the tideway of the River Thames in Chiswick, London.The club is very successful at both junior and senior level...
- Thames Tradesmen's Rowing ClubThames Tradesmen's Rowing ClubThe Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames in England at Chiswick Boathouse, near Barnes Railway Bridge, London....
- Emanuel School Boat Club
- Cygnet Rowing ClubCygnet Rowing ClubCygnet Rowing Club is a rowing club founded in 1890 on the River Thames in England.The club is based at the Civil Service Sports Club Boathouse at Duke's Meadows in Chiswick, London....
- Barnes Bridge Ladies Rowing Club
- Sons of the Thames Rowing ClubSons of the ThamesSons of the Thames is a rowing club in Hammersmith, London, England. It was originally formed in Putney over a hundred years ago with the aim, still enshrined in its constitution, to further the sport of rowing.-History:...
- Latymer Upper School Boat Club
- Furnivall Sculling ClubFurnivall Sculling ClubFurnivall Sculling Club is a rowing club based on the Tideway in Hammersmith, London. It was founded as Hammersmith Sculling Club in 1896 by Dr Frederick James Furnivall. Originally a club for women only, it opened its doors to men in 1901...
- St Pauls School Boat Club
- Auriol Kensington Rowing ClubAuriol Kensington Rowing ClubAuriol Kensington Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club, based in Hammersmith in west London, England. The club was formed in 1981 by the amalgamation of two separate clubs - Auriol Rowing Club which was founded in 1896, and Kensington Rowing Club which was founded in 1872...
- Nautilus Rowing Club (ARA headquarters)
- Barn Elms Rowing Club
- Imperial College Boat ClubImperial College Boat ClubImperial College Boat Club is the rowing club for Imperial College and has its boat house on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was housed from 1919 in Thames Rowing Club but has had its own boathouse since 1938. The club has been highly successful, with many wins at Henley...
- Thames Rowing ClubThames Rowing ClubThames Rowing Club is a rowing club situated on the River Thames in Putney, London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1860.-Club colours:Red, white and black in stripes, the white stripe lying between the red and black and being of half their width....
- Vesta Rowing ClubVesta Rowing ClubVesta Rowing Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames in Putney, London, England. It was founded in 1870.Vesta organizes two head races every year; the Scullers Head and the Veterans Head.-Notable results:...
- King's College School Boat ClubKing's College School Boat ClubKing's College School Boat Club is the rowing club of King's College School, Wimbledon, London, England.The club's boat house is based on the towpath in Putney, south-west London, on the River Thames. It was previously owned by Barclays...
- Dulwich College Boat Club
- Westminster School Boat Club
- HSBC Rowing Club
- London Rowing ClubLondon Rowing ClubLondon Rowing Club is one of the oldest rowing clubs on the River Thames in London, United Kingdom.It is regarded as one of the most exclusive and successful rowing clubs in Britain. and its Patron is HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh....
See also
- Rowing on the River ThamesRowing on the River ThamesThe River Thames is one of the main rowing areas in England, with activity taking place on the Tideway and on the 45 separate lock reaches on the non tidal section. The river hosts two major rowing events The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta, and a large number of other regattas and long distance...
- The Port of London Rowing Chart includes a map of the course showing detailed rules for rowers, the deep water channel, local rowing clubs and other landmarks.