Schools' Head of the River Race The race is held annually on the River Thames in London, England, on a course from Chiswick Bridge in Mortlake to Westminster School Boat Club flagpole in Putney. It is rowed with the tide and is in the opposite direction to The Boat Race. The event in its infancy offered a shortened course for smaller boats, such as J15 4s, J15 B 8's, and Maiden 4s. The shortened course ran from Hammersmith Bridge (from London Corinthian Sailing Club) to the regular finishing post at Putney. However, CD Riches, the event's manager, changed this in 2009. The race is the largest
The Boat Race in 1951; the 1951 race was re-rowed on the following Monday. In 1984 the Cambridge boat sank after colliding with a barge before the start of the race, which was then rescheduled for the next day. In 2016, at Barnes Bridge, Cambridge women began to sink and received advice from the umpire to pull to the side. The Cambridge cox indicated that she wanted to continue to complete the course and was allowed to do so. The course is 4 miles and 374 yards (6.779 km) from Putney to Mortlake, passing Hammersmith and Barnes; it is sometimes referred to as