There are all kinds of racing in England - horse-racing, motor-car
racing, boat-racing, dog-racing, and even races for donkeys. On sports
days at school boys and girls run races, and even train for them. There
is usually a mile race for older boys, and one who wins it is certainly a
good runner. Usually those who run a race go as fast as possible, but
there are some races in which everybody has to go very carefully in
order to avoid falling. The most famous boat-race in England is between
Oxford and Cambridge. It is rowed over a course on the River Thames, and
thousands of people go to watch it. The eight rowers in each boat have
great struggle, and at the end there is usually only a short distance
between the winners and the losers. The University boat-race started in
1820 and has been rowed on the Thames almost every spring since 1836.
