The regatta takes place in May of each year, from the Wednesday to the Saturday of the fifth week of Trinity Term.
Once a bump has taken place, both of the crews involved stop racing and move to the side to allow the rest of the division to pass.
[3] The "Double Headship" is an accolade awarded to any college finishing with both their men's and women's crews at the "Head of the River" in their respective divisions.
A silver "Double Headship Trophy" was commissioned from the silversmith Peter Musson in 2003, to commemorate the historic occasion.
[6] The first amateur races between organised clubs which prepared and trained for the event began in Oxford in 1815.
The event is also notable for the fact that both crews rowed in eight oared boats, specially built for the purpose.
Until this time, Jesus and Brasenose had each used paid coaches who rowed in the stroke seats of the crews.
After the war, normal racing continued, and in 1946 college crews started in the order in which they finished in 1939.
A busy riverbank scene as a boat is returned to one of the college boathouses in Summer Eights 1982
The scene at Boathouse Island during Summer Eights 2005, crammed with spectators awaiting the next race
The earliest-known scene of a race between two eight-oared boats at Oxford University. It has been suggested that the picture shows the "disputed bump" of 1822 in a race between
Jesus College
and
Brasenose College
, but this is uncertain.
