FEATURE
The Youth Boat Race
Year three and going strong
WORDS ANNIE VERNON, OLY
Photography: Jason Garcia
In 2026, Boat Race weekend once again begins by celebrating the future of the sport. On the Friday before the world-famous contest, The Championship Course will belong to a new generation, as students from local state schools take to the Thames for the Youth
Boat Race. Now firmly established in its third year, the Youth Boat Race has quickly become a valued and much-loved part of the Boat Race calendar. It offers young rowers a rare and unforgettable opportunity: to race on the same iconic stretch of river that has staged one of sport’s greatest rivalries for nearly two centuries, and to do so as part of the official Boat Race weekend.
Supported by the Oxford and Cambridge Rowing Foundation (OCRF), the charity that owns The Boat Race Company, the event is rooted in a powerful belief – that this historic occasion belongs not only to elite university athletes, but also to the communities who live alongside the river and the young people who will shape its future.
Hannah Roberts, Trustee of OCRF, captures this spirit: “The Youth Boat Race is about helping young people feel a genuine connection to the river and to The Boat Race itself, and about showing them that this historic event belongs to them too. These young rowers, from local communities, have much in common with the student athletes racing the following day: balancing full-time education with sporting commitment, and learning the values of teamwork, discipline and resilience. Racing on The Championship Course gives them a powerful sense of belonging to the extended Boat Race community – an experience we hope will stay with them long after the finish line.”
The event has grown rapidly. Having doubled in size between 2024 and 2025, the Youth Boat Race continues to go from strength to strength. Participating schools have included Hammersmith Academy, Sacred Heart High School, Fulham Cross Girls’ School, Chelsea Academy, West London Free School, Lady Margaret School, Kensington Aldridge Academy, Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, Holland Park School and Mossbourne Academy, reflecting the breadth and diversity of London’s rowing community.
“Racing on The Championship Course gives them a powerful sense of belonging.”
In 2025, over 100 state school student athletes and volunteers gathered on the sunlit banks of the Thames, inspired by The Boat Race and supported through partnerships with Fulham Reach Boat Club, London Youth Rowing and Barn Elms Boat Club. Thanks to the generous backing of The Boat Race Fund, the Youth Boat Race continues to champion access and inclusivity, opening the sport to young people who might otherwise never experience it.
The sense of pride felt locally was perfectly summed up by the Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Patricia Quigley, who presented medals at last year’s event: “Congratulations to all the young people making Hammersmith and Fulham history by racing on this iconic stretch of the Thames. I was delighted to see so many young people working together, enjoying themselves and creating memories that will last a lifetime.”
For the young athletes themselves, the experience is transformative. “The Youth Boat Race was a very fun and unique experience, I thoroughly enjoyed doing the race and making new memories with my friends, I hope to be able to do it again next year!” said one competitor.
Sarah Shipton, Chair of Trustees, reflects on the wider significance of the event: “The Youth Boat Race truly carries the values of The Boat Race – participation, teamwork, commitment and the joy of rowing on the Thames. It is especially meaningful that crews are drawn from across London, including communities along The Championship Course itself. Now in its third year, it is wonderful to see the Youth Boat Race becoming an established and anticipated part of Boat Race weekend.”
The Youth Boat Race stands as a celebration of opportunity, community and continuity. •