Hydrow lets you race the Putney Boat Race at home
Hydrow, the rowing equivalent of Peloton, has launched a new Race to the Thames fitness class in the run up to the famous Putney Boat Race on Sunday 4 April.
The race, which has seen Cambridge and Oxford universities duke it out every year for last 192 years, will allow Hydrow subscribers that take up the challenge to virtually row down the Thames from Putney Bridge to Chiswick Bridge over 22-minutes.
But unlike the usual interval classes the service normally offers from sunnier destinations like Miami or Los Angles with pep talks of college rows and anecdotal stories, the Race to the Thames class see two 8 person sculls of world-class rowers go head-to-head to give you as closer race vibe as possible.
Those rowers include a mix of Hydrow athletes, Olympic rowers, and former boat race winners from around the world.
It’s the first time the company has recreated a famous race within the service and the first time the company has returned to filming on UK shores since 2019.
I’ve been a Hydrow rower for about 6 months. I’ve also been a fan of the Putney Boat Race for a couple of decades having both lived in Putney and had many friends who attended either Oxford or Cambridge over the years.
I’ve always been intrigued as to how tough the race was, and while Hydrow doesn’t deliver a true on-water experience, having two Olympic coxswains shouting at you as you follow the boats down the river is certainly an experience and really gets you in a grove.
In my boat race attempt I managed 5,170 meters in the allotted time of 22 minutes. That’s a far cry from the 6,800 meters and 17-20 minutes winning times, but I’m already keen to not only have another go, but also see if the service plans to offer other famous races in the future that I can tackle.
Members can complete the row to earn a bespoke Hydrow badge to brag to their friends about and see how their results stack up against the Oxford and Cambridge teams on race day.
Hydrow, a connected rowing machine, offers around 500 exercise classes with virtually all the rowing classes taking place on the water rather than in a classroom allowing you to row in sync with the instructor taking the class.
Hydrow is priced at £1,995 with a £38 monthly subscription in the UK. Read our full review of Hydrow.
