The race is held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on a course from Chiswick Bridge in Mortlake to Westminster School Boat Club flagpole in Putney.
[1] When the race was first held in 1946 the course was shorter than at present, from above Hammersmith Bridge to the current finishing post,[2] a distance of approximately 1.75 miles.
The course was lengthened in 1988 with a start from Duke's Meadow,[3] a mile further upstream, and again in 2000 when the start was moved to Chiswick Bridge,[4] resulting in a course almost the length of the full Boat Race After the course was lengthened, the Schools' Head continued to offer a shorter course (from London Corinthian Sailing Club above Hammersmith Bridge) for smaller boats, such as J15 4s, J15 B 8's, and Maiden 4s; however, in 2009 this was changed by C.D.
[5][6] The race was cancelled in 2001 due to dangerous conditions,[7] reduced to its original length in 2008 as a result of strong winds disrupting the marshalling area[8] and even more severely shortened in 2017, retaining the usual start line but finishing at the bandstand shortly after Barnes bridge.
[13] Although participation was relatively limited at first, with only eight 4s in the first year and no 8s until 1983,[14] the number of entrants has grown substantially over time as a result of the increased popularity of schoolgirl rowing, with over 125 women's crews competing in 2023.