The annual Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race is coming on Sunday, April 6 and Hammersmith & Fulham provides two of the best vantage points on the route.

H&F Council will be hosting the now traditional family-friendly Boat Race in the Park events at Fulham's Bishop’s Park and Furnivall Gardens in Hammersmith, where revellers can catch all the action on giant screens for free, accompanied by beer tents and food.

Both events take place from 12noon to 7pm, with the race itself starting at 6pm on Sunday April 6.

Bishop’s Park is at the start of what will be the 160th Boat Race and Furnivall Gardens takes in the middle of the course where the race starts to heat up as the crews move under Hammersmith's iconic bridge.

Deputy Leader of H& F Council, Cllr Greg Smith, says: “Like the Grand National, FA Cup Final or Wimbledon, the Boat Race is one of the highlights of the nation’s sporting calendar.

"This year’s event is likely to be another thrilling spectacle so why not visit one of the borough’s two fantastic parks to get the best view of the action?"

The first race took place in 1829 after Cambridge challenged Oxford to a race on the Thames. The modern race still runs along the same lines and has now become a major international sporting occasion drawing millions of viewers from around the world

Up to 250,000 spectators crowd the banks of the Thames to witness the action. The race runs through four London boroughs but H&F is the only borough to host public viewing on both the Thames path and on large screens.

Oxford won last year’s race by just over a length in a time of 17 minutes 28 seconds. However, Cambridge lead the overall series by 81 wins to 77, with the sides drawing in a dead heat once in the 1800s.

For further information about the Boat Race visit the official Boat Race website or contact the council’s events team on 0845 337 0314 or events@lbhf.gov.uk.

March 14, 2014