The Boat Race

The Boat Race takes place in London every year in the spring. It is a race between two teams - one from Oxford University and the other from Cambridge University. Each team has eight rowers and 'cox', the person who shouts instructions to rowers and steers the boat. The rowers are usually very big and strong ( often about 200 centimeters tall), but the cox is usually small and light so that the boat doesn't have to carry extra weight. The teams spend months preparing for the race. They begin training in September. Then, in December, there are practice races - but not between Oxford and Cambridge. Teams from the same university compete in practice races so that they can choose the best rowers for the 'big' race in the spring. The race takes place along the river Thames, in west London. The course is 6,779 metres from start to finish. It is an extremely popular event. Every year, about 250,000 spectators watch the race from the banks of the river, and about half a bilion people around the world watch it on TV.