Editing River Thames (section)

==Sport==
There are several watersports prevalent on the Thames, with many clubs encouraging participation and organising racing and inter-club competitions.

===Rowing===
{{Main|Rowing on the River Thames}}
[[File:Finish of 2007 Oxford-Cambridge boat race.JPG|thumb|Cambridge cross the finish line ahead of Oxford in the 2007 [[The Boat Race|Boat Race]], viewed from Chiswick Bridge.]]

The Thames is the historic heartland of [[sport rowing|rowing]] in the United Kingdom. There are over 200 clubs on the river, and over 8,000 members of [[British Rowing]] (over 40% of its membership).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britishrowing.org/2011/12/clubs-celebrate-17-4-million-inspired-facilities-funding/ |title=Clubs celebrate £17.4&nbsp;million Inspired Facilities funding |publisher=British Rowing |date=22 December 2011 |access-date=27 August 2020 |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926000324/https://www.britishrowing.org/2011/12/clubs-celebrate-17-4-million-inspired-facilities-funding/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Most towns and districts of any size on the river have at least one club. Internationally attended centres are [[Oxford]], [[Henley-on-Thames]] and events and clubs on the stretch of river from [[Chiswick]] to [[Putney]].

Two rowing events on the River Thames are traditionally part of the wider English sporting calendar:

The [[The Boat Race|University Boat Race]] (between [[Oxford University Boat Club|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University Boat Club|Cambridge]]) takes place in late March or early April, on the [[The Championship Course|Championship Course]] from [[Putney]] to [[Mortlake]] in the west of London.

[[Henley Royal Regatta]] takes place over five days at the start of July in the upstream town of [[Henley-on-Thames]]. Besides its sporting significance the regatta is an important date on the English [[Season (society)|social calendar]] alongside events like [[Ascot Racecourse|Royal Ascot]] and [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]].

Other significant or historic rowing events on the Thames include:
* The [[Head of the River Race]] and [[Women's Eights Head of the River Race]] (8+) (i.e. coxed eights), [[Schools' Head of the River Race|Schools' Head]], [[Veterans Head]], [[Scullers Head of the River Race|Scullers Head]], [[Head of the River Fours|Fours Head (HOR4s)]], and Pairs Head (shorter) on the [[The Championship Course|Championship Course]]
* [[The Wingfield Sculls]] on the same course: (1x) ([[single scull]]ing) championship
* [[Doggett's Coat and Badge]] for apprentice watermen of London, one of the oldest sporting events in the world
* [[Henley Women's Regatta]]
* The [[Henley Boat Races]] currently for the Lightweight (men's and women's) crews of Oxford and Cambridge universities
* The Oxford University [[bumps race|bumping races]] known as [[Eights Week]] and [[Torpids]]

Other [[regatta]]s, [[head race]]s and university bumping races are held along the Thames which are described under [[Rowing on the River Thames]].

===Sailing===
{{Main|Sailing on the River Thames}}
[[File:ThamesRaters01.JPG|thumb|upright|Thames Raters at Raven's Ait, [[Surbiton]]]]

Sailing is practised on both the tidal and non-tidal reaches of the river. The highest club upstream is at Oxford. The most popular sailing craft used on the Thames are [[laser (dinghy)|lasers]], [[GP14 (dinghy)|GP14s]] and [[Wayfarer (dinghy)|Wayfarers]]. One sailing boat unique to the Thames is the [[Thames A Class Rater (scow)|Thames Rater]], which is sailed around [[Raven's Ait]].

===Skiffing===
[[Skiffing]] has dwindled in favour of private motor boat ownership but is competed on the river in the summer months. Six clubs and a similar number of skiff regattas exist from [[the Skiff Club]], [[Teddington]] upstream.

===Punting===
Unlike the "pleasure [[punt (boat)|punting]]" common on the [[River Cherwell|Cherwell]] in [[Oxford]] and the [[River Cam|Cam]] in [[Cambridge]], punting on the Thames is competitive as well as recreational and uses narrower craft, typically based at the few skiff clubs.

===Kayaking and canoeing===
{{Main|Kayaking and canoeing on the River Thames}}
[[Kayaking]] and [[canoeing]] are common, with [[sea kayak]]ers using the [[tidal reach|tidal stretch]] for touring. Kayakers and canoeists use the tidal and non-tidal sections for training, racing and trips. [[Whitewater]] [[playboating|playboaters]] and [[slalom canoeing|slalom]] paddlers are catered for at [[weir]]s like those at [[Hurley Lock]], [[Sunbury Lock]] and [[Boulter's Lock]]. At Teddington just before the tidal section of the river starts is [[Royal Canoe Club]], said to be the oldest in the world and founded in 1866. Since 1950, almost every year at Easter, long distance canoeists have been competing in what is now known as the [[Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race]],<ref>[http://www.dwrace.co.uk/ Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200829022444/http://www.dwrace.co.uk/ |date=29 August 2020 }}. Dwrace.org.uk. Retrieved on 27 August 2020.</ref> which follows the course of the [[Kennet and Avon Canal]], joins the River Thames at Reading and runs right up to a grand finish at [[Westminster Bridge]].

===Swimming===
In 2006, British swimmer and environmental campaigner [[Lewis Pugh]] became the first person to swim the full length of the Thames from outside Kemble to Southend-on-Sea to draw attention to the severe drought in England which saw record temperatures indicative of a degree of global warming. The {{cvt|202|mi|km|adj=on}} swim took him 21 days to complete. The official headwater of the river had stopped flowing due to the drought, forcing Pugh to run the first {{cvt|26|mi}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Achieving the Impossible. A Fearless Leader. A Fragile Earth |publisher=Simon & Schuster |first=Lewis |last=Pugh |date=May 2010}}</ref>

Since June 2012, the [[Port of London Authority]] has made a [[by-law]], which it enforces, that bans swimming between Putney Bridge and [[Crossness]], [[Thamesmead]] (thus including all of central London), without obtaining prior permission, on the grounds that swimmers in that area of the river endanger not only themselves, due to the strong current of the river, but also other river users.<ref>{{cite web |title=New by-law bans swimming in River Thames |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18658853 |work=BBC News |access-date=1 July 2012 |date=30 June 2012 |archive-date=30 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630201256/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18658853 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Organised swimming events take place at various points generally upstream of [[Hampton Court]], including Windsor, Marlow and Henley.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Big Thames Open Water Swim Series |url=http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Fundraising/Swimmingevents/SwimforMacmillan/TheBigThamesOpenWaterSeries/TheBigThamesOpenWaterSwimSeries.aspx |work=Macmillan Cancer Support |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328143921/http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Fundraising/Swimmingevents/SwimforMacmillan/TheBigThamesOpenWaterSeries/TheBigThamesOpenWaterSwimSeries.aspx |archive-date=28 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Humanrace: Windsor |url=http://swimseries.humanrace.co.uk/events/windsor |work=Speedo Open Water Swim Series |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701194555/http://swimseries.humanrace.co.uk/events/windsor |archive-date=1 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Henley Swim |url=http://www.henleyswim.com/ |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085639/https://henleyswim.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, comedian [[David Walliams]] swam the {{cvt|140|mi|km}} from Lechlade to Westminster Bridge and raised over £1&nbsp;million for charity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Walliams reflects on epic 140-mile Thames charity swim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14891217 |newspaper=BBC News |access-date=1 July 2012 |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085638/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-14891217 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In non-tidal stretches swimming was, and still is, a leisure and fitness activity among experienced swimmers where safe, deeper outer channels are used in times of low stream.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davies |first1=Caitlin |title=The return of wild swimming: Swimming in the Thames is becoming the norm again |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/the-return-of-wild-swimming-swimming-in-the-thames-is-becoming-the-norm-again-10224427.html |access-date=27 August 2020 |work=Independent |date=4 May 2015 |archive-date=6 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161206084304/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/the-return-of-wild-swimming-swimming-in-the-thames-is-becoming-the-norm-again-10224427.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Meanders===
A [[Thames meander]] is a long-distance journey over all or part of the Thames by running, swimming or using any of the above means. It is often carried out as an athletic challenge in a competition or for a record attempt.