The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the men's senior boat clubs of the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The race was first held in 1829 on a 2+1⁄4-mile (3.6 km) stretch of the River Thames. As of 2015 the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course, between Putney and Mortlake on the Thames in south-west London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and broadcast worldwide. Four unofficial boat races were held during the Second World War, both on the Thames and the Great Ouse in Ely. The crews were not recognised as full Blues and as such, the results of these races