A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind.
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.
The Lent Bumps are a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam in Cambridge. They began in 1887, after separating from the May Bumps, which are bumping races held in mid-June. 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 Anglia Ruskin Boat Club. The Lent Bumps take place over five days at the end of February / start of March and are run as bumps races.
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.
Emmanuel Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The men's 1st VIII has stayed largely in the first division of the Lent and May Bumps for the last half-century, but fell as low as 21st in the May Bumps in the 1930s, and has been as low as 28th in the Lent Bumps towards the end of the 19th century.
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.
Cambridge University Combined Boat Clubs (CUCBC) is responsible for the day-to-day running of college rowing in Cambridge. It is also responsible for organising May and Lent bumps which are the main races of the Easter and Lent terms respectively.
Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC) was the rowing club for women at the University of Cambridge. CUWBC fielded both a lightweight eight that races against Oxford at the Henley Boat Races, and two openweight eights that race at the Women's Boat Race. In April 2020 it was agreed that the club would be combined with the men's club CUBC and the lightweight men's club CULRC.
Homerton College Boat Club (HCBC) is the rowing club for members of Homerton College, University of Cambridge. HCBC colours are navy blue with white trim, although the club's Zephyr (garment) is white with blue trim. It is traditional to wear a sock of each of the boat club's colours when racing with a blue sock on the foot opposite the rigger.
The Lent Bumps 2018 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 27 February 2018 to Saturday 3 March 2018. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 131st 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 2019 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 5 March 2019 to Saturday 9 March 2019. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 132nd 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 May Bumps 2019 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Wednesday 12 June 2019 to Saturday 15 June 2019. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 128th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887.
The May Bumps 2017 were a set of rowing races at Cambridge University from Wednesday 14 June 2017 to Saturday 17 June 2017. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 126th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887.
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.
The May Bumps 2020 were a set of rowing races at Cambridge University scheduled to take place from Wednesday 10 June 2020 to Saturday 13 June 2020. The event was to be run as a bumps race and would have been the 129th set of races in the series of May Bumps which had been held annually in mid-June since 1887. The 2020 races were due to be the first in which the women's divisions were to be held following the respective men's divisions, following a CUCBC rule change in June 2019 such that the final division should alternate between men's and women's divisions each year.
The May Bumps 2021 were a set of rowing races at Cambridge University scheduled to take place from Wednesday 16 June 2021 to Saturday 19 June 2021. The event was to be run as a bumps race and would have been the 129th set of races in the series of May Bumps which had been held annually in mid-June since 1887. In this edition of the Mays, the women's divisions were due to be raced before the equivalent men's divisions.
The Lent Bumps 2022 were a set of rowing races at Cambridge University from Tuesday 1 March 2022 to Saturday 5 March 2022. 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. In this edition of the Lents, the women's divisions raced before the equivalent men's divisions, and the numbers of men's and women's boats competing were equal.
The May Bumps 2022 was a series of rowing races at Cambridge University from Wednesday 15 June 2022 to Saturday 18 June 2022. The event was run as a bumps race and was the 129th set of races in the series of May Bumps which have been held annually in mid-June in this form since 1887.
