Hammersmith & Fulham is the home of the annual Oxford v Cambridge boat races.
The races return our stretch of the Thames on Sunday 13 April:
- 79th Women's Boat Race – Starts 1.21pm
- 170th Men's Boat Race – Starts 2.21pm
Here's our guide to watching the races in H&F, home of the longest section of the course:
Bishops Park, SW6 6EA
The Fulham Fan Park will open at 11am and close at 5pm. It is located near the start of the race, next to Putney Bridge.
Fulham Football Club's Riverside Stand will have 14 screens showing the race. There will also be a big screen in Bishops Park with live BBC coverage.
The Fulham Brass Band will play in the park from midday, and there'll be an array of street food and refreshment on offer along Fulham FC Riverside.
Seats and toilets will also be available in the park.
Furnivall Gardens, W6 9DG
The Hammersmith Fan Park area will open at 11am and close at 5pm. 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.
Food will be on offer from Hide & Greek, YouBao, GameKeeper and Jeco Bowl. Drinks will be on sale from Jim & Tonic.
Seats and toilets will also be available.
Riverside viewing
There are tons of good spots to watch the races along our stretch of the Thames.
You can visit some of our great local riverside pubs along the course:
Route map for The Boat Race 2025
View a larger version of the Championship Course on The Boat Race website
Make a day of it
While you're here, why not explore more of our exciting borough? Head off the riverside path after the races to find some of H&F's popular places.
If you're down in Bishops Park, you can explore the historic home of the Bishops of London – Fulham Palace. If you're up in Hammersmith, you can wander down King Street for some shopping.
You can also check out H&F's culinary scene with our Fulham, Hammersmith, Shepherds Bush and White City food guides for tasty tips.
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Oar-some rowing history
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 (81-87) and Women's (30-48) 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 138-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 4pm. Barnes Bridge will also be closed on the day.
Get into rowing
Visit any of the clubs along the riverside during the boat races if you want to learn more about rowing.
Fulham Reach Boat Club, set up in 2014, is based at Distillery Wharf, Fulham, and offers training courses just 200m from Hammersmith Bridge.
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 boat races, including the history of the race and crew announcements, visit the official website.
