The crews participating in this year’s Boat Race have signed Sadiq Khan’s London Rivers’ Pledge after poo in the Thames marred last year’s rowing regatta.
A number of crew got ill during the preparations for the 2024 Boat Race, held in West London, due to a mix of E. coli, sewage and poo. An Oxford rower said last year: “It would be a lot nicer if there wasn’t as much poo in the water.”
The Mayor of London’s 10-year London Rivers’ Pledge aims to clean up the capital’s waterways.
Khan said: “The annual Boat Race is an iconic event in London, shining a spotlight on the Thames. It’s vital that rowers can train and race on the river safely, and that everyone is able to access and enjoy our waterways
“London’s rivers have been neglected for too long, and I’m pleased to be delivering funding and working with partners on an ambitious plan to clean them up and turn things around.
“We’ve made great progress in cleaning up our air in London, now we plan to do the same with our rivers. Together we can ensure our rivers are safer for all as we continue to build a greener, fairer, better London for everyone.”
Boat Race row
Recurring worries about the quality of the Thames is the latest issue for the Boat Race, which will this year be sponsored by Chanel, after a row erupted between the two universities – Oxford and Cambridge – over the eligibility of a number of competitors.
Cambridge, who have had the upper hand in both the men’s and women’s races in recent years, has seen a number of its rowers disqualified for not doing degrees, instead working towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.
An independent interpretation panel, not organisers the Boat Race Company themselves, made the final decision which led to the triple exclusion.