Now part of the wider Boat Race calendar, the Lightweight Men’s Boat Race will begin at 15:13 on Friday 29th March.
Cambridge University Boat Club
Cambridge return to the Championship Course off the back of a clean sweep in 2023, and with their lightweight men’s crew retaining five of the winning crew from last year (though six have raced the lightweight boat race previously), you would assume they head into this race as favourites.
The crew has seen moderate success so far this year in the fixture series: battling against London Rowing Club, the Cambridge crew performed well, winning one and losing one piece to London. It was a similar story when they came up against Brookes ‘D’ crew, although the Cambridge lost both pieces.
Standout names in the crew include Freddie Markanday, who previously rowed for the Cambridge lightweights in 2019 and 2022, Sam Taylor, a returning Blue and ex-junior, and Thomas Heppel, the bow seat of last year’s winning crew.
Oxford University Boat Club
Angling for their first win since 2021 – and for the opportunity to end the Cambridge’s winning streak – Oxford’s lightweight crew is an almost all-new line-up for 2024. With only one returner from last year (Adam Pattenden), this new look crew is Oxford’s chance to turn their luck around.
The cox-stroke pairing in this boat is a combination Cambridge simply cannot match. Rahul Marchand and Isaac Throsby, both members of the 2023 St. Paul’s crew that reached the final of Henley Royal, are set to lead their crew with a wealth of experience, and in particular, a deep knowledge of the Tideway. Luca Nadig rounds out the stern pair, joining Oxford this year having previously been crowned the Swiss champion in the lightweight pair.
In their fixtures, Oxford squared-off against Thames Rowing Club; a fiery set of fixtures resulting in a Thames DQ and two narrow losses for Oxford.
Prediction
This should be a thrilling race to witness. Cambridge return to the course with athletes that have proven proficient in dispatching Oxford’s best efforts, whilst the latter’s all-new line up comes with an incredibly strong stern pair and cox.
These two crews are near impossible to tear apart: assuming equal conditions, I’d expect to see these crews run side-by-side for the majority of the race, but one crew must cross the line first, and in 2024 I believe that will be Oxford.
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