Everybody's heard of the annual Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race, but did you know that they hold another race in reverse? The Head of the River Race runs in the opposite direction from Mortlake to Putney.
It regularly attracts around 400 crews from all across the country and places further afield including Europe, Australia, China and the USA - making it one of the highest participation events in London's calendar.
Photo: horr.co.ukRace from Mortlake to Putney
The course runs for 4 1/2 miles on a falling (ebb) tide between Mortlake and Putney and takes around 17-20 mins to complete (the world record is 16 mins 28 secs).
The teams are released one after the other in 10-second intervals and the crew that completes the race in the quickest time is announced after the whole field has crossed the line. The final crews usually come home about two hours after it starts.
The course begins adjacent to the University Stone at Chiswick Bridge (close to The Ship pub) and then passes Barnes Bridge, Hammersmith Bridge and Fulham's football stadium at Craven Cottage, before ending a short distance before Putney Bridge.
