CULTURE EDITION
T eams from Britain’s two most prestigious universities will compete in The Boat Race on 13 April, following a tradition that began 196 years ago at Henley. Today, the clubs compete across 6.8km of tidal Thames, from Putney Bridge to Mortlake. Coach Rob Baker is responsible for training the three Cambridge men’s teams. “We guide them to row in the most efficient, effective way we can,” he says. “The programme includes skills development, the rigorous physiological side, as well as an understanding that students have to recover and go to classes.” Training begins in September for the April race, training six days a week for As Cambridge University Boat Club gears up to face Oxford on 13 April, we hear from the coaches about the gruelling training programme RACE BLUE GRIT
three to four hours a day. “In rowing, you can’t train for six months and then take six months off,” says Rob. “You get a couple of weeks of holiday each year, then you have to get back to training. The biggest challenge for us is fitting training around the students’ academic workload. We’re dealing with some of the brightest minds in the world.” For the three women’s teams, coach Patrick ‘Paddy’ Ryan says the training is just as tough. “They’re up at 5am to catch the train to Ely and be on the water (the River Great Ouse) by 6.40am. It’s all go, but we get our mileage done – about 14-18km weekday mornings, and pushing 40km at the weekends. Then they have to be back in Cambridge by 8am to get to their respective studies. We have MBAs, a sixth-year medic, scientists, engineers, vets and historians. The academic expectations for Cambridge are extremely high and the university certainly doesn’t compromise on that.” In addition to training on the water for three mornings each week, both teams do land-based training Monday to Friday, weight training and use the rowing machine. “It’s intense,” says Paddy. “It’s a whole
lifestyle, not a sport.” The mental aspect of training is crucial too. “Rowing is very repetitive – it’s a mix of strength and endurance,” says Rob. “We have to do the same action over and over again, when our bodies are screaming and our brains are saying: ‘this is a very bad idea!’” The key to beating Oxford, as both teams have done two years in a row now, is all in the team dynamics and understanding how to work the course. “There’s no magic pill,” says Rob. “Tactically we have to be very savvy, and technically, we’ve got to row very well together as a unit. Ultimately, every year there’s just one challenge, you have to focus on what’s ahead. “It’s a very visceral event because of its win-or-lose nature. I hate to put it so dramatically, but it does almost feel like a bereavement if you don’t win. You put so much of yourself into it, and you know everyone else has put a lot of themselves into it too, so you always want to get the best result out of it.” The Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Race is on 13 April. Visit theboatrace.org for more
36 APRIL 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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