Saturday 4 April 2026. The Boat Race starts in Putney – right here, under Putney Bridge, on our stretch of the Thames. Around 200,000 people will line the banks from Putney to Mortlake, with tens of thousands arriving in SW15 to watch the coin toss, cheer the crews out, and enjoy a morning by the river before the racing begins.
This is your local guide. We live here. We know which pub fills up fastest, where to stand, how to get in and out without losing an hour to a sardine-tin tube carriage, and which local businesses are throwing a proper party. We’ll keep this page updated as more information comes in before race day.
Quick facts: The 2026 Boat Race
| Race | Start Time | Where it Starts |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Race (80th edition) | 2:21pm | Putney Bridge |
| Men’s Race (171st edition) | 3:21pm | Putney Bridge |
- Date: Saturday 4 April 2026
- Route: 4.25 miles from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge (upstream)
- TV coverage: Channel 4 (new deal from 2026 – first time off the BBC)
- Tickets: You don’t need tickets – watching the Boat Race in Putney is completely free. Just find a spot on the riverbank.
- Putney Embankment: Closed to vehicles from 9am to 6pm
The Putney timetable: What’s happening here
Putney is where the action starts – literally. The coin toss happens here, the crews launch from the boathouses along Putney Embankment, and there’s a full morning of atmosphere before a single oar hits the water. This is one of the main reasons to base yourself in Putney rather than further along the course.
| Time | What’s Happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9am | Putney Embankment closes to vehicles | Putney Embankment |
| 11am | Fan Zone opens — drinks from local pubs, street food, Riverside Radio broadcast | Church Square (outside St Mary’s Church) |
| 11am | Easter Bonnet Parade (with prizes — bring a hat) | Church Square (outside St Mary’s Church) |
| 11:30am | Festival of Rowing arrives in Putney — traditional wooden rowing boats on the Thames | Putney Embankment |
| Noon | Crew walk-outs: both Cambridge blue boats walk through the crowds to the water | Thames Rowing Club, Putney Embankment |
| 12:15pm | Coin toss: Oxford and Cambridge presidents decide which side of the river to race on | Putney Embankment |
| Morning | Crews launch their boats from the boathouses — great photo opportunity | Putney Embankment boathouses |
| 1:30pm | Channel 4 TV coverage begins | On screen |
| 2:21pm | Women’s Race starts | Putney Bridge (start line) |
| ~2:35pm | Women’s Race finishes (at Chiswick Bridge, ~14 minutes later) | Chiswick |
| 2:31pm | Women’s Reserves: Osiris (Oxford) v Blondie (Cambridge) | Putney Bridge (start line) |
| 2:51pm | Men’s Reserves: Isis (Oxford) v Goldie (Cambridge) | Putney Bridge (start line) |
| 3:21pm | Men’s Race starts | Putney Bridge (start line) |
| ~3:37pm | Men’s Race finishes | Chiswick |
| 6pm | Road closures lifted | Putney Embankment |
Where to watch the Boat Race in Putney
If you’re looking for where to watch the Boat Race in Putney, you’re in the right place — and in the right location. Being at the start means you see the pre-race atmosphere, the crews launching, and the beginning of the race — but not the finish. If you want to see who actually wins, you either move along the route (not easy once it fills up) or watch Channel 4 on a pub screen while you’re soaking up the Putney atmosphere.
Putney Bridge
The bridge itself offers a commanding view of both the start and the river immediately above. It gets packed early — if you want a good spot on the bridge, arrive by noon at the latest. This is also where you’ll have the best view of the racing boats as they pass under and head upstream.
Putney Embankment
The Embankment – closed to vehicles from 9am – becomes a pedestrian riverside promenade for the day. Two moments are worth planning around.
The first is the crew walk-outs. Before the coin toss, the rowers walk from their boathouses through the crowds to the water. Both Cambridge blue boats, men’s and women’s, walk out from Thames Rowing Club on the Embankment. The atmosphere at this point is electric: thousands of people lining a narrow path as Olympic-standard athletes push through on their way to one of sport’s great occasions. Be here by 11:45.
The second is the coin toss itself, at 12:15. The presidents of each crew face each other on the Embankment and toss to choose their station
– Middlesex (north bank) or Surrey (south bank) – a decision that can influence the outcome given the bends in the course. The crew that wins the toss gets to choose, and the choice matters. It is a genuine
tradition and worth seeing.
After the coin toss, the boats launch from the boathouses: another rare chance to watch elite athletes up close before a major race.
The University Stone
Look for the stone marked “UBR” (University Boat Race) set into the towpath on Putney Embankment, a few metres west of Putney Bridge. This is where the stake boats are moored for the actual start — the bows of both crews line up with this stone when the race begins. Worth knowing about, worth looking for.
Church Square (Positively Putney Event)
Outside St Mary’s Church, Positively Putney is running a free Fan Zone from 11am to 5pm. The 2026 programme includes:
- Easter Bonnet Parade at 11am (with prizes – bring a hat)
- Live music throughout the day
- Riverside Radio broadcasting from the square
- Drinks from local Putney pubs
- Street food stalls
A good option if the Embankment is packed, if you’re with younger children, or if you want a festival atmosphere rather than a riverbank crowd. The square is a five-minute walk from the start line.
Also running until 14 April: the Easter Boat Trail. Twelve Putney primary and secondary schools have painted decorative boats, displayed in local businesses around Putney. Free to follow, with a £50 voucher prize for the best social media post using #BoatsBonnetsBands. A good morning activity before the races begin.
Pubs in Putney on Boat Race Day
Putney’s pubs are part of the Boat Race experience — and they’re not all the same day out. The key rule applies to all of them: arrive early. By noon, the best spots will be at capacity. One practical note: Positively Putney has distributed reusable cups to Putney’s pubs for Boat Race day – part of an initiative that has saved nearly four million single-use plastics since 2019. Your pint will come in one of these on Saturday, which you keep.
The Boathouse is the party from the moment the embankment closes. Terrace overlooking Putney Bridge, live music, pop-up bars, a crowd that knows what it’s doing. No booking — first come, first served, and it fills up fast.
The Duke’s Head is the classic choice — a Putney institution right at the start line, with screenings across four separate spaces, an outside bar with barbecue, and live music during and after the race. Cambridge alumni traditionally gather here from 5:30pm, which tells you something about the atmosphere. Book a table inside if you can.
The Spotted Horse rewards those who find it. Just off the river but with easy access, it has an outdoor bar, live music, and a rooftop terrace where the afternoon takes on a completely different character once the embankment crowds thicken. There’s also a rowing machine charity competition in the run-up to race day — prizes include substantial amounts of beer, which seems appropriate.
The Coat & Badge comes into its own once the boats have gone. The riverside garden is one of the best in Putney on any day; on Boat Race day it becomes something else entirely. If you’re planning an afternoon rather than just a morning, this is where it ends up.
The Half Moon isn’t a river pub – it’s one of Putney’s most famous music venues, recently given a full refresh for 2026 with a new look and a clearer identity as a live music destination. On Boat Race day it
leans into that fully: free entry, outdoor bars, screens for both races, live bands from 3:45pm through midnight, and the Burger Shack running throughout. The right choice if you want the day to turn into a night.
Thai Square Putney — not a pub, but worth knowing about if you want a guaranteed seat with a view. Directly opposite the start line on Putney Bridge Road, with a specially curated Boat Race set menu from £28 and themed cocktails. One of the few places where you can actually plan ahead.
Further along the course, the Old Ship in Hammersmith gives you the longest stretch of river view of any pub on the route — useful if you want to watch the racing rather than just the start. In Barnes, the Bull’s Head and the Coach & Horses both fill up fast and are worth knowing about if you’re following the race downstream.
Getting to Putney on Boat Race Day
Transport gets complicated. The embankment road closures and 200,000+ spectators along the route means the usual shortcuts disappear. Here’s what actually works.
Public Transport
By Tube
Putney Bridge (District line) is the obvious stop, but it will be overwhelmed. East Putney (District line) is a better bet: a 20-minute walk to the embankment and you can pop into shops/pubs/restaurants on the High Street on the way.
By Train / Overground
Putney station (National Rail / London Overground) is roughly a 15-minute walk from Putney Bridge. Services from London Waterloo are frequent. This is often less chaotic than the tube on race day.
By Bus
Routes 14, 22, 37, 39, 74, 85, 93, 265, 424, 430 all serve Putney. Expect delays from road closures: buses can get stuck for 20-30 minutes. Fine if you’re coming from nearby; unreliable if you have a specific time to hit.
Driving and Parking
Don’t. Putney Embankment and Thames Bank are both closed from 8:30am. The surrounding streets will be gridlocked from mid-morning. Park-and-ride options don’t exist for this event. Take public transport.
Walking or Cycling
If you’re within a mile or two of Putney, walking is genuinely the best option on race day. Cycling to the embankment is fine – you won’t be able to take bikes into the thickest crowds. Lower Richmond Road is usually stacked with bicycles as a result. Just be considerate and take a few minutes to carefully place your bike.
Dockless e-bikes (Lime and Forest) will not be available on Putney Embankment on race day. If you’re cycling to the river, lock up on a side street before the closure zone.
Also Happening: The Friday Races (3 April)
The day before the main event — Friday 3 April 2026 — the Lightweight and Veterans’ Boat Races take place on the same course. Presentations will be at Putney Embankment from noon to 5pm. Much smaller crowds, same spectacular setting. If you want to get close to the racing without fighting through 200,000 people, Friday is the insider option.
TV: Watch/listen to the 2026 Boat Race at Home
Channel 4 has the broadcast rights from 2026 — the first time in many years the race moves away from the BBC. Coverage runs from 1:30pm to
4:30pm on Saturday 4 April.
Times Radio is the official radio partner. Presenter Jane Mulkerrins will broadcast live from the Putney riverbank from 1pm to 4pm, with rowing guests and live atmosphere from the start. Available free worldwide via the Times Radio app and website.
The reserve races — Osiris v Blondie (women’s) and Isis v Goldie (men’s) — are not on Channel 4. They are live-streamed free on The Boat Race YouTube channel from 2pm: youtube.com/@theboatrace
Channel 4 highlights will also be available on the same YouTube channel by noon on Sunday 6 April.
About the Boat Race
The Men’s Boat Race has been contested since 1829 — the 2026 edition is the 171st. The Women’s Race, which has run since 1927, reaches its 80th edition this year. The course — officially called the Championship Course — runs 4.25 miles from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge, timed to start on the incoming flood tide so the current helps the crews rather than fights them.
Cambridge currently dominate both competitions: 88 wins to Oxford’s 81 in the men’s race, and 49 to 30 in the women’s. Oxford’s men’s team last won in 2022. Cambridge completed a clean sweep in 2025, winning the women’s race by 2½ lengths and the men’s by 5½. Oxford will be looking to end that run in 2026.
The race title sponsor for 2026 is CHANEL J12, making this the CHANEL J12 Boat Race.
We’ll be covering the Boat Race build-up and race day in our daily email. The latest stories appear below — subscribe here to get them at 7am.
Questions? Updates?
If you’re a local business putting on an event for Boat Race day, or if you have information to add to this guide, email us. We update this page as new information comes in.
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