The Boat Race of the North
| The Boat Race of the North | |
| Contested by | |
| DUBC | NUBC |
| First boat race | 18 May 1997 |
| Current champion | Newcastle (2023) |
| Course | Redheugh Bridge to Gateshead Millennium Bridge |
| Course length | 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) |
| Sponsor | Northumbrian Water (− 2010) NE1 (2015 –) Siemens (2017 –) |
| Number of wins | |
| Durham | Newcastle |
| 8 | 8 |
| 4 draws | |
| Official website | |
| dubc newcastlerowing | |
The Boat Race of the North is an annual rowing event between the boat clubs of Durham and Newcastle universities in England. The event is usually staged on the River Tyne in Newcastle, although the 2018 race was held on the River Wear in Durham.
The inaugural event took place on 18 May 1997. Durham won eight of the first twelve competitions, before a hiatus between 2011 and 2014. Races recommenced in 2015, and Newcastle has won six of the seven events since then.
The event was sponsored for a number of years until 2010 by Northumbrian Water, and hence was known as the Northumbrian Water University Boat Race for this period. Since 2015 the race had been sponsored by the NE1 business development company, with Siemens also sponsoring from 2017, when the race became the Siemens Boat Race of the North.