Boat Race 2023 LIVE: Cambridge and Oxford compete over four mile course on River Thames

Lawrence Ostlere and Michael Jones
·2 min read
The Boat Races were split last year between men’s and women’s races (Getty Images)
The Boat Races were split last year between men’s and women’s races (Getty Images)

The 2023 Boat Race between Cambridge and Oxford takes place London this afternoon as the two famous universities clash on the River Thames.

In the men’s race last year, Oxford ended three years of Cambridge victories with a win of two and a quarter lengths. It was their first victory since 2017 after the race was abandoned in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The margin of victory was the same in the women’s race but the spoils went to Cambridge who extended their winning run to five years.

The 77th women’s race starts at 4pm and the 168th men’s follows at 5pm. An estimated 250,000 people are expected to watch the races from the banks of the river as the annual event takes place over 4.25 miles from Putney to Mortlake.

Follow all the action from the Boat Races with our liveblog below:

Boat Race 2023

  • Cambridge and Oxford universities clash on the River Thames for the 2023 Boat Race

  • Cambridge are defending champions in the women’s race which starts at 4pm

  • Oxford triumphed in men’s race last year, this year’s race begins at 5pm

Who’s in the Oxford Women’s team?

15:05 , Michael Jones

There are three roles in rowing - bow, stroke and cox. The race is rowed in eights and the cox can be of any gender.

Oxford Women’s team

Bow: Laurel Kaye (Worcester), Claire Aitken (Oriel), Sara Helin (St. Peter’s), Ella Stadler (Exeter), Alison Carrington (Hertford), Freya Willis (Magdalen), Sarah Marshall (Jesus)

Stroke: Esther Austin (St Anne’s)

Cox: Tara Slade (St Peter’s)

How to watch the Boat Race 2023

15:00 , Michael Jones

The action will be shown on BBC One, with coverage getting underway at 3:30pm.

The women’s race will start at 4pm BST on Sunday 26 March followed by the men’s race at 5pm.

Boat Race 2023

13:25 , Michael Jones

The Boat Race returns to the River Thames today as the light blue of Cambridge University take on the dark blue of Oxford University.

In the men’s race last year, Oxford ended three years of Cambridge victories with a win of two and a quarter lengths whilst the Cambridge women where victorious by the margin of victory to extend their winning run to five years.

The race returned to the Thames last year after it wasn’t held in 2020 and was held on the Great Ouse in 2021.

The women’s race kicks off first at 4pm BST followed by the men’s race an hour later. Who will be triumphant this time around?