FILE - Members of the Oxford University rowing boat crew throw their cox Laurence Harvet into the River Thames as they celebrate their win against Cambridge University at the end of their 160th annual Boat Race on the River Thames, London, Sunday, April 6, 2014. . Now researchers say it comes with a health warning.
The teams from both competing universities have been given a briefing pack with guidance, issued by River Action among others, on the importance of covering cuts, grazes and blisters with waterproof dressings, taking care not to swallow river water that splashes close to the mouth, wearing suitable footwear when launching or recovering a boat, and cleaning all equipment thoroughly.
The race between the universities first took place in 1829 and is one of the oldest sporting events in the world, typically attracting 270,000 spectators along the 4.2-mile stretch of the Thames. Test results indicated an average of 2,863 E.coli colony forming units per 100ml of water, the group said. The highest recorded spike reached 9,801 CFU, it added.