The May Bumps are a set of rowing races, held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge, England. They began in 1887 after separating from the Lent Bumps, the equivalent bumping races held at the end of February or start of March. Prior to the separation there had been a single set of annual bumps dating from its inception in 1827. The races are open to all college boat clubs from the University of Cambridge, the University Medical and Veterinary Schools and the Anglia Ruskin Boat Club. The May Bumps takes place over four days in mid-June and is run as a bumps race.
Caius Boat Club is the boat club for members of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The club has rowed on the River Cam since 1827, and like the other college boat clubs its aim is to gain and hold the headship of the Lent Bumps and May Bumps, now held in eight-oared boats, separately for men and women.
Downing College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Downing College, Cambridge. Downing men have not been below the top 9 boats for over 3 decades, on occasion being the only boat club with a second boat in the first division, and regularly ahead of other college first boats. Downing women also consistently place highly, currently second on the river in the Lents and sixth in the Mays.
Pembroke College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Pembroke College, Cambridge. Over the 20th century, crews from Pembroke have held the headship of the men's Lent Bumps on four occasions, and the headship of the men's May Bumps ten times. The men's 1st VIII spent their entire history in the 1st division of both events, apart from poor performances in the Lent Bumps 2000 and the May Bumps 2003, and the crew is usually found in the top half of the division. The women's 1st VIII first raced in 1985, and have not yet taken the headship of the Lent Bumps, but took the headship of the May Bumps in 1997, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Fitzwilliam College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. Prior to the 1960s, Fitzwilliam House occupied a position near the bottom of the 2nd division or top half of the 3rd division of the Lent and May Bumps, even finding itself in the 4th division of the Lent Bumps briefly. Between 1959 and 1969, the 1st men's VIII were not bumped in the Lent Bumps, rising to Head of the River in 1969. Between 1960 and 1971, the 1st men's VIII were bumped only once in the May Bumps, taking the headship for three years between 1969 and 1971. From then until the mid-1980s, the 1st VIII held a position in the top-half of the 1st division and won both the Fairbairn Cup and the Emmanuel Sprints Regatta in the Michaelmas Term of 1982. The 1982 crew completed the traditional (1929–1989) Fairbairn course in 14.34, becoming the second crew ever to post a winning time of under 15 minutes over the original race distance.
Queens' College Boat Club (QCBC) is the rowing club for members of Queens' College, Cambridge.
Clare Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Clare College, Cambridge, it was founded in 1831.
Newnham College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Newnham College, Cambridge. The club has a year-round senior squad and invites all members of the college to learn to row by joining the novice squads during Michaelmas or Easter terms.
Churchill College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Churchill College, Cambridge.
Magdalene Boat Club (MBC) is the rowing club for members of Magdalene College, Cambridge. The foundation of the MBC in 1828 coincided with the 400th anniversary of the Monk's Hostel or Buckingham College - the original foundation of Magdalene.
The Lent Bumps 2003 were a series of rowing races held at Cambridge University from Tuesday 25 February 2003 until Saturday 1 March 2003. The event was run as a bumps race and has been held annually in late-February or early March since 1887. See Lent Bumps for the format of the races. In 2003, a total of 121 crews took part, with nearly 1100 participants.
The May Bumps 2009 were a set of rowing races held in Cambridge, UK from Wednesday 10 June 2009 to Saturday 13 June 2009. The bumps featured crews from all Cambridge University Colleges and Anglia Ruskin University. The races were run as a bumps race and were the 118th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887. In 2009, a total of 171 crews are expected to take part, with over 1500 participants in total.
The May Bumps 2010 were a set of rowing races held in Cambridge, UK with crews from the boat clubs of all Cambridge University Colleges, the University Medical and Veterinary Schools and Anglia Ruskin University from Wednesday 9 June 2010 to Saturday 12 June 2010. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 119th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887. In 2010, a total of 172 crews took part, with nearly 1550 participants in total.
The May Bumps 2011 were a set of rowing races held in Cambridge, UK with crews from the boat clubs of all Cambridge University Colleges, the University Medical and Veterinary Schools and Anglia Ruskin University from Wednesday 15 June 2011 to Saturday 18 June 2011. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 120th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887. In 2011, 172 crews took part, with nearly 1550 participants in total.
The Lent Bumps 2012 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 28 February 2012 to Saturday 3 March 2012. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 125th set of races in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late February or early March since 1887. See Lent Bumps for the format of the races. 121 crews took part, with nearly 1100 participants in total.
The May Bumps 2012 were a set of rowing races held in Cambridge, UK with crews from the boat clubs of all Cambridge University Colleges and Anglia Ruskin University from Wednesday 13 June 2012 to Saturday 16 June 2012. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 121st set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887. In 2012, 172 crews took part, with nearly 1550 participants in total.
The Lent Bumps 2013 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 26 February 2013 to Saturday 2 March 2013. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 126th set of races in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late February or early March since 1887. See Lent Bumps for the format of the races. 121 crews took part, with nearly 1100 participants in total.
The Lent Bumps 2014 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 25 February 2014 to Saturday 1 March 2014. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 127th set of races in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late February or early March since 1887. See Lent Bumps for the format of the races. 103 crews took part, with nearly 950 participants in total.
The Lent Bumps 2015 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Wednesday 25 February 2015 to Saturday 28 February 2015. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 128th set of races in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late February or early March since 1887. See Lent Bumps for the format of the races.
The Lent Bumps 2020 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 25 February 2020 to Saturday 29 February 2020. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 127th set of races in the series of Lent Bumps which have been held annually in late February or early March since 1887.
