Boat Race of the North

On Saturday 7^th of May the Boat Race of the North will return to the Newcastle-Gateshead Quayside. The annual event, which was relaunched last year, will see two giants of university rowing in the UK - Durham University Boat Club and Newcastle University Boat Club – racing through the heart of Newcastle to be crowned Champions of the North. The contest is raced over 1500 metres, from Redheugh to the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, taking in some of the North East’s most iconic landmarks along the way. With hundreds of spectators lining the banks, and loud-speakers broadcasting commentary on the racing, the event will be an exciting spectacle for both rowing enthusiasts and members of the public. This year there will be five, possibly six races in total with both universities fielding a first and second ranked eight-oared crew from their men’s and women’s squads, each racing head to head. There are also plans to stage an alumni race, with crews made up of past students, and a local derby showdown between two North East rowing clubs: Tyne Rowing Club and Tyne United Rowing Club. Newcastle University Boat Club is looking to defend the overall title they won last year, but it is set to be a tight contest, with all crews training exceptionally hard for the event. Winning with the dramatic backdrop of the Quayside, against fierce rivals, will mark the high point of the rowing calendar for 2016 for whichever crews emerge victorious. Quote from one of the organisers/racing teams: “The Tyne provides an amazing waterway in which to race, it is great to see the city from a riverside perspective and have crowds lining the Quayside and cheering us on.  Last year’s event was the first staged in over 5 years, it proved popular with the competitors and public alike so we are keen to make it an annual fixture.  We’d encourage everyone to get down to the Quayside to watch the North East’s version of the Oxford/Cambridge boat race.” Tariq, Business Operations Manager at NE1 Ltd, the city’s Business Improvement District Company, who has supported the event planning team commented: “We have been delighted to support this event which was so successfully re-launched last year and was a great spectacle for the hundreds of spectators who lined the route. “It is great to see the River Tyne being brought to life and is a welcome addition to the city’s annual events calendar, the stunning backdrop of the Quayside provides a spectacular setting for the University boat race and we can only hope for good weather that weekend!”