Hammersmith & Fulham is the home of the annual Oxford v Cambridge Boat Races.
The races return our stretch of the River Thames on Saturday 30 March:
- Women’s Boat Race – 2:46pm
- Men’s Boat Race – 3:46pm
Here’s our guide to watching the drama unfold in H&F, home of the longest section of the course:
Race route map for The Boat Race 2024. View a bigger version of the championship course.
Bishops Park, SW6 6EA
The Fulham Fan Park will open at 11am and closes at 6pm. It is located near the start of the race, next to Putney Bridge.
Fulham Football Club is opening the stretch under Craven Cottage’s Riverside Stand for the day. There will also be a big screen in Bishops Park with live BBC coverage from 2pm.
The Fulham Brass Band will play in the park from 12pm, and there’ll be an array of street food on offer along Fulham FC Riverside. Drinks will be on sale from the Shepherd Neame bar, the Chapel Down bar and other refreshment stations. Fulham FC Riverside is not BYO. Seats and toilets will also be available in the park.
Furnivall Gardens, W6 9DG
The Hammersmith Fan Park area will open at 11am and closes at 6pm. It is located at the two-mile mark, the midpoint of the 4.25-mile race. There will be a big screen by the river with live BBC coverage from 2pm.
Food will be on offer from Cheeky Burger, Baked Bird, Hermanos Tacos and Crepe Salut.
Drinks will be on sale from the Shepherd Neame bar, the Chapel Down bar, Jim & Tonic and a coffee cart. Seats and toilets will also be available.
Riverside viewing
There are a huge number of other good vantage points along the Thames to watch the race.
You can pop into one of our great local riverside pubs along the course:
Each pub is hosting its own fantastic event for spectators, like the VIP package at The Crabtree. Check out their websites for details.
Rowing rivalry
The men's race has been an annual fixture on the Thames since 1856, only interrupted for the First and Second World Wars and in 2020.
In the overall standings, Oxford trail Cambridge in both the men’s (81-86) and women’s (30-47) races.
Several big names have taken part in the legendary event. House actor Hugh Laurie was in the 1980 Cambridge crew.
And Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell returned to rowing 15 years after his triumph in Athens 2004. He joined the winning 2019 Cambridge crew at 46 years old to become the oldest-ever Boat Race competitor.
Hammersmith Bridge
Our iconic 136-year-old Hammersmith Bridge is also a significant marker in the race.
It is just before the halfway point of the race, where coxes traditionally aim for the second lamppost from the left where the water is deepest and the river fastest, before beginning the long left-hand turn. And 80 per cent of crews ahead at Hammersmith Bridge go on to win.
Following expert safety advice to avoid congestion, Hammersmith Bridge will be closed to pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooters from 10am to 5pm.
Keen to try rowing?
Visit any of the clubs along the riverside during the Boat Race if you want to learn more about getting into rowing.
Fulham Reach Boat Club, set up in 2014, is based at Distillery Wharf, Fulham, and offers training courses just 200m from Hammersmith Bridge.
Fulham Reach BC is hosting the first ever Youth Boat Race ahead of the annual Oxford v Cambridge race. Local secondary school rowers will be taking to the Thames on Tuesday 26 March.
Furnivall Sculling Club in Hammersmith welcomes everyone whether you’re interested in rowing competitively or just for fun.
Sons of the Thames is a club based on the Tideway, just upstream of Hammersmith Bridge, which combines social events and competition rowing.
And there’s also the Auriol Kensington Rowing Club at Lower Mall, Hammersmith, which bills itself as the friendliest rowing club on the river. Find all the information you need on the Auriol Kensington Rowing Club website.
Meanwhile, for more details about the Gemini Boat Race, including the history of the race and crew announcements, visit the official Boat Race website.
