Boat Race 2016: Oxford Cambridge is three times more brutal than rowing 2km for Olympic gold

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Mark Hunter27 March 2016

I know the Boat Race has its critics but it remains one of the great traditions of British sport. It’s up there with Wimbledon or Henley Royal Regatta, and I genuinely believe it’s still relevant and deserves its place on the sporting calendar.

Aside from the tradition and history, perhaps the biggest draw is the unique nature of the race. As an Olympic rower, I would race over two kilometres and that was brutal. On Sunday both crews will effectively row three times that distance, and there’s also a real element of the unknown.

Unlike when I was competing, I had a host of regattas in which to test myself against my rivals so that, when it came to the Olympics or the World Championships, I knew where I was and what was required. In the Boat Race, a sense of nervousness permeates through both crews as they have not had the chance to properly show what they are capable of so there’s such a balancing act from both Oxford and Cambridge to gauge how hard to go out from the start.

I’ve watched the race on television for as long as I can remember. A few times, I’ve had the pleasure of being on the riverbanks with the tens of thousands of other spectators for what is a very special atmosphere. Not so long ago, I even watched the Varsity football match at Craven Cottage before watching the subsequent Boat Race from the stadium, which was a very special thing to do.

As I’ve said, I’m well aware that the race has its detractors, that people reference it to being all about toffs. Part of the problem, I believe, is that the organisers don’t do a good enough job going behind the scenes and bringing to life who all these athletes are. A lot of them come from backgrounds you wouldn’t expect. We had a girl from London Youth Rowing, Maddy Badcott, who last year rowed in the Boat Race and she very much broke the stereotype you might have of a crew member.

In the men’s race, I’ve never had a great allegiance to either crew. Oxford have dominated in recent years with their coach Sean Bowden winning 11 out of the last 16 races but I have a sneaky suspicion that this might be Cambridge’s year.

I know the star names will hate me for saying this but I love the Boat Race in an Olympic year. It means the big names from Britain and the world are missing from the crews as their focus is instead on Rio. For me, that makes it a purer form of racing, it strips it back to its traditional roots.

Sadly, I won’t there but I’ll be tuning in to see a very special event.

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