The People at the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race Are Far More Interesting Than the Race

This weekend, Cambridge beat Oxford in both the men’s and women’s boat races.

Unless you’re an old Cantabrigian, or fanatical about university-level rowing, it’s unlikely this information is hugely important to you. Mind you, despite the fact the Boat Race is – by every single measure – a relatively niche interest, a quarter of a million people turn up to the banks of the River Thames to watch it live every year, while millions more tune in to watch it on TV. Why? Because it’s become One Of Those Things We Do, like going to the panto at Christmas, even though we know it’ll be shit.

Anyway, this year photographer Chris Bethell went along to snap photos of some of those in-the-flesh viewers, because the people-watching is objectively more interesting than the boat-race-watching. Enjoy!

@CBethell_photo