The Launch
Purdue Crew Row-a-Thon
Each year, Purdue Crew engages in a fundraising effort known as the “Row-a-Thon.” The Row-a-thon event takes place at the Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette, Indiana, and is a community service event to support both the Lafayette Urban Ministry’s (LUM) Good Samaritan Fund as well as Purdue Crew. This year, the Row-a-Thon will take place on Saturday, February 8th from 8am-6pm EST. Athletes will row a marathon, 26.2 miles, over the course of three hours on indoor rowing machines.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2025
We're celebrating the 39th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a day that honors not just the champions and record-breakers, but also the grassroots efforts of communities, schools, and organizations that ensure sports are accessible for all girls and women. We’re proud to amplify the voices of women athletes, and celebrate the boundless opportunities that sports create. Why do sports matter? Hear directly from some of The Boat Race athletes who inspire us to dream big and break boundaries.
“The Boat Race is older than New Zealand as a country” – a Kiwi in Oxford
Tom Mackintosh, the Oxford University Boat Club President for 2025, is a rarity. A President who has never rowed a Boat Race; a man who took Olympic gold in the eight, then moved into the single and won World Championship bronze in the slowest and loneliest of boats. Not many people have sat on an Olympic start line in the biggest and smallest boats. Tom was Olympic champion in the New Zealand eight in Tokyo 2020, before taking some time away from rowing. He returned in the single scull, won World Championship bronze in 2023, and finished fifth in Paris 2024. This unique blend of experiences, Tom believes, sets him up well to lead the athletes at Oxford.
Presidents’ Challenge Launches 2025 Boat Race Season
The 2025 Boat Race season is officially underway following the annual Presidents’ Challenge, held this year at London’s iconic Somerset House. Marking the renewal of the legendary rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge, the event featured the formal challenge ceremony and introduced a season of exciting milestones, including CHANEL’s debut as the new title sponsor. With an increasingly diverse roster of athletes, including Olympians and rowers from 18 nationalities, the stage is set for the 79th Women’s and 170th Men’s Boat Races on April 13, 2025.
Treasure from the Thames: The Boat Race Medallion Discovery
Many people who are fans of The Boat Race may have no connection with either university or to the sport of rowing but follow the beloved 200-year-old British national institution because of a passion for the River Thames and also for history and heritage. In such cases, it is also possible that they also follow the many social media and YouTube sites dedicated to ‘mudlarking’, the searching of the Thames foreshore at low tide for items lost or discarded anytime within the last 1,000 plus years – from Roman coins to Victorian clay tobacco pipes to McDonald’s plastic toys.
CHANEL and The Boat Race Announce Long-Term Partnership
CHANEL and The Boat Race Company Ltd have announced the signing of a long-term partnership with CHANEL as Title Sponsor and official Timekeeping Partner. The 2025 event will become The CHANEL J12 Boat Race. The historic race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities was established nearly 200 years ago in 1829. It is the oldest major sporting event in the UK, with the dark and light ‘Blues’ crews of eight rowers pitted against each other on the River Thames every year in the Spring.
The Boat Race Signs JL Racing as Official Kit Supplier
JL Racing has been appointed the official performance wear sponsor by The Boat Race Company. The partnership will see Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club outfitted with JL Racing’s custom performance rowing apparel for training and racing.
JL Racing Partners with Fulham Reach Boat Club
JL Racing has proudly announced a strategic partnership with Fulham Reach Boat Club. This collaboration aims to broaden access to rowing within their communities, particularly among those facing financial or social challenges, fostering their growth both on and off the water. Bringing together two prominent rowing organizations from the United States and the United Kingdom, this partnership seeks to enhance the rowing community on a broader scale. By reaching out to underserved communities, establishing connections within the rowing industry, and providing unique exposure opportunities, both parties aim to expand their impact.
4 Essentials For Rowers
JL Racing sent me over a nice box of gear this year to try and give honest feedback on. I had previously had JL gear through their provision of the national team gear in Ireland in 2018 and also when I joined Team JL 2018 in my last year of university rowing. I was excited as I was still to this day wearing their JL Racing t-shirts day to day as I loved the quality and how well they washed and could be used over and over. They also sat on my shoulders and arms really nicely, which was a bonus for the ego. Looking good in clothes can never be a bad thing. I have compiled my must-haves for a rowing session and why.
The Sports Bra Project Partners With Women Sport Australia
The Sports Bra Project celebrated International Women's Day this year with the announcement of a new partnership with Women Sport Australia. The Sports Bra Project increases access to sports for women and girls by removing barriers to participation. Women Sport Australia is a volunteer, non-profit organization that advocates for women in sport, and is dedicated to making sport equitable for all.
