The Boat Race 2025: Date, start time, route, crews and schedule as Oxford and Cambridge renew rivalry
Cambridge will renew hostilities with rivals Oxford in the 170th edition of the famous university Boat Race next month. The build-up to this year’s event has only increased tensions between the two over an eligibility row centered on gold medallist Tom Ford. Tom Ford won gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024Getty Ford and younger sibling Emily (front row, second from right) became the first British brother-sister combination to win medals at the OlympicsGetty Ford, who won gold for Team GB in the men’s eight at the 2024 Paris Olympics, recently started an MBA at the University of Cambridge. However, the 32-year-old became the fourth rower to be barred from competing due to enrolling for his undergraduate degree at Newcastle University in 2011. That has made Ford fall foul of a recent rule put in place by both universities following James Cracknell’s controversial appearance in the Boat Race for Cambridge six years ago. Double Olympic gold medallist Cracknell came out of retirement in 2019 to become both the oldest competitor and oldest winner of the famous event – which sparked the stipulation that athletes cannot take part if they started an undergraduate course more than 12 years earlier. The current Ford dispute comes after three Cambridge university team members were also barred because they are studying for PGCE degrees, which Oxford claimed makes them illegible to row. 2025 Boat Race: When is it? The Boat Race this year will take place on Sunday, April 13. The men’s race is set to get going at 2:21pm. The women’s race is scheduled for an hour before with two reserve events sandwiched in the middle. It will be held on the River Thames, with the 4.25-mile Championship Course stretching nearly seven kilometres from Putney to Mortlake. 1:21pm 79th Women’s Boat Race 1:36pm 53rdnd Women’s Reserve Boat Race – Osiris v Blondie 1:51pm 60th Men’s Reserve Boat Race – Isis v Goldie 2:21pm 170th Men’s Boat Race Cambridge won the 2024 men’s Boat Race to complete the double over OxfordAFP 2025 Boat Race: TV channel and live stream All four races will be shown on free-to-air BBC One. Their coverage is set to start at 12:45pm, and will be live streamed online via the BBC iPlayer on your computer, tablet or mobile device. It will also be available to stream online via the BBC website and the Boat Race YouTube channel. 2025 Boat Race: Teams The Oxford and Cambridge crews will be officially announced on Wednesday, March 26, at 6pm at Battersea Power Station. Oxford Women To follow Cambridge Women To follow Oxford Men To follow Cambridge Men To follow A disagreement between Oxford and Cambridge has erupted with the ban of PGCE studentsGetty 2025 Boat Race: What has been said? Matt Heywood, a former under-23 world champion, Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley have all been disqualified from competing in the men’s and women’s races. “It looks like Oxford saw an opportunity and went for it, as they took the view that Matt Heywood was a strong rower, and they wanted to stop him competing,” said Cath Bishop, an Olympic rowing silver medallist and Cambridge graduate. “The impact on Cambridge’s women’s squad losing two members is collateral damage. If the PGCE ban stands, it will affect women disproportionately, as more women are teachers. “It is also an insult to all the alumni on both sides who have rowed while on PGCE courses, and a poor look for Oxford to be undermining an important degree-level qualification for the teaching profession that is so crucial to society.” Cambridge have had the edge in recent yearsGetty 2025 Boat Race: Who has won it the most times? Oxford’s continued moves to barr Cambridge rowers make sense, considering their recent dismal history in the event. Cambridge have dominated the Boat Race in recent years, winning seven consecutive women’s titles and five of the past six men’s. Overall, heading into this year’s boat race, the Cambridge Men’s team have claimed 87 wins to Oxford’s 82. In the Women’s Race, Cambridge have won 48 times and Oxford 30.
Cambridge will renew hostilities with rivals Oxford in the 170th edition of the famous university Boat Race next month.
The build-up to this year’s event has only increased tensions between the two over an eligibility row centered on gold medallist Tom Ford.
Ford, who won gold for Team GB in the men’s eight at the 2024 Paris Olympics, recently started an MBA at the University of Cambridge.
However, the 32-year-old became the fourth rower to be barred from competing due to enrolling for his undergraduate degree at Newcastle University in 2011.
That has made Ford fall foul of a recent rule put in place by both universities following James Cracknell’s controversial appearance in the Boat Race for Cambridge six years ago.
Double Olympic gold medallist Cracknell came out of retirement in 2019 to become both the oldest competitor and oldest winner of the famous event – which sparked the stipulation that athletes cannot take part if they started an undergraduate course more than 12 years earlier.
The current Ford dispute comes after three Cambridge university team members were also barred because they are studying for PGCE degrees, which Oxford claimed makes them illegible to row.
2025 Boat Race: When is it?
The Boat Race this year will take place on Sunday, April 13.
The men’s race is set to get going at 2:21pm.
The women’s race is scheduled for an hour before with two reserve events sandwiched in the middle.
It will be held on the River Thames, with the 4.25-mile Championship Course stretching nearly seven kilometres from Putney to Mortlake.
- 1:21pm 79th Women’s Boat Race
- 1:36pm 53rdnd Women’s Reserve Boat Race – Osiris v Blondie
- 1:51pm 60th Men’s Reserve Boat Race – Isis v Goldie
- 2:21pm 170th Men’s Boat Race
2025 Boat Race: TV channel and live stream
All four races will be shown on free-to-air BBC One.
Their coverage is set to start at 12:45pm, and will be live streamed online via the BBC iPlayer on your computer, tablet or mobile device.
It will also be available to stream online via the BBC website and the Boat Race YouTube channel.
2025 Boat Race: Teams
The Oxford and Cambridge crews will be officially announced on Wednesday, March 26, at 6pm at Battersea Power Station.
Oxford Women
- To follow
Cambridge Women
- To follow
Oxford Men
- To follow
Cambridge Men
- To follow
2025 Boat Race: What has been said?
Matt Heywood, a former under-23 world champion, Molly Foxell and Kate Cowley have all been disqualified from competing in the men’s and women’s races.
“It looks like Oxford saw an opportunity and went for it, as they took the view that Matt Heywood was a strong rower, and they wanted to stop him competing,” said Cath Bishop, an Olympic rowing silver medallist and Cambridge graduate.
“The impact on Cambridge’s women’s squad losing two members is collateral damage. If the PGCE ban stands, it will affect women disproportionately, as more women are teachers.
“It is also an insult to all the alumni on both sides who have rowed while on PGCE courses, and a poor look for Oxford to be undermining an important degree-level qualification for the teaching profession that is so crucial to society.”
2025 Boat Race: Who has won it the most times?
Oxford’s continued moves to barr Cambridge rowers make sense, considering their recent dismal history in the event.
Cambridge have dominated the Boat Race in recent years, winning seven consecutive women’s titles and five of the past six men’s.
Overall, heading into this year’s boat race, the Cambridge Men’s team have claimed 87 wins to Oxford’s 82.
In the Women’s Race, Cambridge have won 48 times and Oxford 30.
