The Doggett’s Race 2026

🚣‍♀️🚣‍♂️🚣‍♀️ Another chapter of rowing history will be made on the afternoon of Wednesday 2 September with the 312th running of the Doggett’s Race on the River Thames.  The race starts by London Bridge and spectating is free.

NEWSFLASH: The 2026 Doggett’s Race is a wrap!

👀 Check out our WHAT’S ON section for lots more live sport coming up in or around London. 

The annual Doggett’s Coat and Badge Wager started in 1715.  A gruelling test of the participants’ knowledge of the river and rowing prowess, the Doggett’s Race is held annually on the Thames between London Bridge and Cadogan Pier (Chelsea) over a 4 mile 7 furlong (7,400 metre) course that passes under 11 bridges. 

Taking place over four centuries it’s the oldest boat race in the world as well as the oldest continuous sporting event.  It’s competed for by watermen who have finished their apprenticeship to be allowed to carry goods and people on the River Thames.  (For more on the history of the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Wager, founded by the actor Thomas Doggett, see below.)

2026 DRAW

The draw for the 2026 race was held at Fishmonger’s Hall on Thursday 9 July.  The Master of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen presided over the draw, with Race Umpire (and previous race winner) Bobby Prentice also present.  The 312th race draw is as follows:-

First Station (1) – Red: Freeman, Charlie Milward

Second Station (2) – Orange: Apprentice, Callum Howard

Third Station (3) – Green: Freeman, Jack Finelli

Livery Award’s Dinner

The 2026 race champion will be officially recognised at a livery dinner at Fishmongers’ Hall in November.  This is attended by previous winners, all wearing their victor’s red coat.  The 312th winner will receive the ceremonial scarlet coat, an honour awarded to every winner in the race’s 300-year history.  This features a large silver badge on the arm (see below), designed by Doggett himself.

Previous winners of the race include Sean Collins (in 1990), the chief executive and co-founder of MBNA Thames Clippers.  Also the Port of London Authority’s Michael Russell who won in 1997.

The race record of 22 minutes and 23 seconds, set in 1973, is held by Bobby Prentice.  Prentice has been a regular umpire of the race since 20222.

This race is organised by the Company of Watermen & Lightermen and the Fishmongers’ Company.

 Race starts at 1.15pm at London Bridge finishing at Cadogan Pier shortly before *1.45pm.

* Race finish time is approximate.

Spectating is free on the race route (marked 2021, but unchanged) below.  Recommended bridges for viewing include London Bridge looking back at Tower Bridge for the start (see picture above), Waterloo Bridge as the rowers pass the London Eye and Albert Bridge for the finish at Cadogan Pier.

About the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Wager

The Doggett’s Race was founded by Thomas Doggett.  Doggett was born in Dublin and moved to London in 1690 to pursue a career in acting.

Doggett retired in 1713 after a career as an actor, comedian and former manager of the Drury Lane Theatre.  His career saw him admire the skills of newly licensed watermen who rowed him home across the River Thames.

In 1715 Doggett, a keen Whig, founded the prize of Doggett’s Coat and Badge in honour of the House of Hanover, in commemoration of King George I’s accession to the Throne on 1st August 1714.  According to “Doggett’s custom” only young watermen “in the first year of their Freedom of the Watermen’s Company” were entitled to enter the race.

Thomas Doggett’s Will

Doggett himself organised and managed the race each year until his death in 1721.  In his Will he instructed his executors to endow the race and to hand over the funds in trust to Mr. Burt of the Admiralty Office.  Burt was to manage the race after his death.

Doggett left a set of detailed instructions in his Will as to the style and cost of the badge and the livery which was to be presented to the winner.  The Trust was to provide: “five pounds for a Badge of Silver representing Liberty, eighteen shillings for a Livery on which the Badge was to be put, a guinea for making up the suit of livery and buttons and appurtenances to it, and 30/- to the Clerk of the Watermen’s Hall”.

Mr. Burt apparently was not very willing to accept the Trust.  In November 1721 he entered into a Deed with the executors of Doggett’s Will and the Fishmongers’ Company.  This effectively passed the Trusteeship of the race to the Fishmongers’ Company, with an endowment of £350.  In 1722 the Fishmongers’ Company organised the race for the first time.  It has faithfully complied with Doggett’s Will ever since.

About the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Wager Cont.

Each year the winner of the race, wearing his new Coat and badge is presented to the Prime Warden of the Fishmongers’ Company at a grand banquet held at Fishmongers’ Hall.  This usually takes place in November.  In 2010, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Princess Royal attended the presentation.

According to “Doggett’s custom” only young watermen “in the first year of their Freedom of the Watermen’s Company” were entitled to enter the race.  This effectively meant that a waterman only had one attempt.  Of course, in Doggett’s time, watermen were much more numerous than they are now, being the equivalent of the modern day taxi driver.

By the early 1980’s, the number of watermen working on the Thames had declined and fewer apprentices were being trained.  This meant there was a lack of qualified competitors to row for “Doggett’s Coat and Badge”.  Therefore, in 1988 it was decided to extend the entry qualification to allow a person three attempts at the race.

Record for continuous history

Few annual individual sporting contests in the world can match the continuous history of the Race for Doggett’s Coat and badge (1715).  Among team races, the Palio horse race in Siena, Italy dates back to the 17th Century.  It has been run twice-yearly since early 18th Century (www.ilpalio.org)

In Britain the Antient Silver Arrow annual anchary contest in Yorkshire traces it’s history back to 1673.  But it was interrupted during several wars and no contest is recorded to have taken place in 35 years (www.scortonasrrow.com)

The Doggett’s Race was interrupted during the Second World War, but after the War a full series of Races was won for those eligible in each year, ensuring the continuous history of the Race since 1715.

History of the race courtesy of the Doggett’s Race website.

👀 For more great spectator sport check out our ‘What’s On‘ page.  And for regular reminders to ensure you don’t miss a moment of the action subscribe now to our free newsletter!