The Championship Course is a stretch of the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

between

Mortlake Mortlake is a suburban district of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes, London, Barnes. Historically it was part of Surrey and until 1965 was in the Municipal Borough of Barnes ...

and

Putney Putney () is an affluent district in southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, England. It is a well-established course for

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

races, particularly the

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing (sport), rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eight (rowing), eights on the River Thames in London, Englan ...

. The course is on the tidal reaches of the river often referred to as the Tideway.

History

In 1845, it was agreed to stage the Boat Race (which had on five previous occasions been rowed from

Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge crossing over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats ...

to Putney) on a course from ' Putney Bridge to Mortlake Church tower'. The aim was to reduce the interference from heavy river traffic. The following year, a race for the Professional World Sculling Championship moved to the course for the first time. The

Wingfield Sculls The Wingfield Sculls is a Rowing (sport), rowing race held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on the The Championship Course, Championship Course from Putney to Mortlake. The race is between single scullers and is usually on the ...

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, close to The Ship public house, and the other just upstream of Putney Bridge. The course distance is 4

mile The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a imperial unit, British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of Unit of length, le ...

s and 374

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British imperial units, imperial and US United States customary units, customary systems of measurement equalling 3 foot (unit), feet or 36 inches. Sinc ...

s (), as measured along the centre of the river's stream. Races are always rowed in the same direction as the tide: from

on an ebb tide or from Putney to Mortlake 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 to Mortlake except in 1846, 1856 and 1863. The

is also raced from Putney to Mortlake. Most other events race on an ebb tide from Mortlake to Putney. In April 1869, the

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Boat Club challenged the

Oxford University Boat Club Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) is the Rowing (sport), rowing club for the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in 1829. The prime constitutional aim of OUBC is to beat Cambridge Univers ...

to an "International University Boat-Race" of coxed fours on the Boat Race course. The race took place on 27 August 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 US, and led to the formation of the Rowing Association of American Colleges.

Landmarks

Principal landmarks, often used when racing, include (in order from

Events

* Boustead Cup (February/March) * Women's Eights Head of the River Race (March) * Schools' Head of the River Race (March) * Head of the River Race (March/April) * Veterans Head (March) *The Boat Races –

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. It is also known as the U ...

, Women's Boat Race and The Lightweight Boat Races (March/April) *

(October/November) * Pairs Head of the River (rowed as far as Harrods) (October) * Head of the River Fours (November) * Veteran Fours Head of the River (November) * Scullers Head (November/December)

Rowing clubs along the course

* Tideway Scullers School * Thames Tradesmen's Rowing Club * Emanuel School Boat Club * Cygnet Rowing Club * Barnes Bridge Ladies Rowing Club * Sons of the Thames Rowing Club * Latymer Upper School Boat Club * Furnivall Sculling Club * St Paul's School Boat Club *

Auriol Kensington Rowing Club Auriol Kensington Rowing Club is a rowing club in Hammersmith, west London, [England. The club was formed in 1981 by the amalgamation of Auriol Rowing Club which was founded in 1896 and Kensington Rowing Club which was founded in 1872. The clu ...

*Nautilus Rowing Club (British Rowing headquarters) *Fulham Reach Boat Club *Barn Elms Rowing Club *Parr’s Priory Rowing Club *Imperial College Boat Club *Thames Rowing Club *Vesta Rowing Club * Crabtree Boat Club * King's College School Boat Club * Dulwich College Boat Club * Westminster School Boat Club * HSBC Rowing Club *

London Rowing Club London Rowing Club (LRC, or colloquially, 'London') is the second-oldest of the non-academic active rowing clubs on the Thames in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1856 by members of the long-disbanded Argonauts Club wishing to compete ...

* Putney High School Boat Club * The London Oratory School Boat Club

References

External links

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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Championship Course, The The Boat Race Mortlake, London Rowing on the River Thames Rowing venues in the United Kingdom Sports venues in London Sport in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Sport in the London Borough of Wandsworth Sport in the London Borough of Hounslow Sport in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 1845 establishments in England