Since 1896 the match has been hosted on neutral territory by Thames Hare & Hounds, the oldest cross-country club in the world. It is the second oldest team contest in the sport, and one of the few still raced over the unique eight v. eight format. The Wimbledon Common course offers an unrivalled experience for the student athletes who take part.
In a rivalry that spans nearly 150 years, the amateur student athletes lucky enough to be selected for the team follow in the footsteps of greats such as Sir Roger Bannister and Sir Christopher Chataway.
Held in London on the first Saturday of December, the match is well attended by spectators who add to the special atmosphere, chasing the runners round the course.
Photography: Graham Smith Photography, 2025
Photography: Graham Smith Photography, 2025
The 2026 programme, with the teams, the course and the race notes, will be published here the week before the race.
The races start and finish at Thames Hare & Hounds’ headquarters, the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields, Roehampton Vale, London SW15 3PQ.
Three routes serve the stops at Roehampton Vale / Asda: the 85 (Putney Bridge – Kingston), the 265 (Putney Bridge – Tolworth) and the K3 (Roehampton Vale – Kingston – Esher). The 265 and K3 also call at Vale Crescent / Robin Hood. The clubhouse is a 5 to 10 minute walk from each stop.
The nearest stations are in Putney and Wimbledon, both a bus ride away. From Putney Station, the 85 runs direct to Roehampton Vale; from Putney Bridge (District line), take the 85 or 265. Check Saturday times on the TfL Journey Planner before you travel.
Free parking at the car park by the clubhouse. It can be busy on Saturdays because of rugby and football on the playing fields, so arrive early. The surrounding streets also have free parking.
Open the headquarters in Google Maps ↗ · TfL Journey Planner ↗
Spectators chase the runners round the Common, and moving between points lets you see each race more than once. These are the four best places, each marked on the course plan.
Start and finishBeside the Thames clubhouseEvery race starts and finishes here, by the brick bridge over Beverley Brook.
The water splashBetween A and BShortly after the start, where the runners cross Beverley Brook.
The WindmillAt L and MThe Ladies’ race passes once and the Gentlemen’s race three times.
The ButtsBetween Y and ZAlways the muddiest part of the course, a mile or so from the finish.Each Blues team fields eight athletes.
The first six finishers from each university score their finishing positions.
The six positions are added together. The lower total takes the match.
Every runner counts. A team’s seventh and eighth runners do not score, but they can still help win the match. Each one who finishes ahead of the other university’s scoring runners pushes those runners one place further back, and that adds to the other team’s total.
A tie goes to the team whose last scoring runner finishes first. If those two runners dead-heat, the match is a draw.
Open to all former members and alumni of the Oxford University Cross Country Club (OUCCC) and Cambridge University Hare & Hounds (CUH&H). Current students are welcome to run but do not score in the race.
The 34th Old Blues’ Race opens the afternoon over approximately 4 miles. It is a mob match, scored on team depth. Oxford won in 2025, and Peter Molloy (Trinity, Cambridge) was first home in 21:20.
The second and third teams and the Mob Matches race a week earlier, at Shotover Country Park near Oxford.
Race day cannot take place without volunteers. The roles, and how to offer your help, are on the Support page.
