Cambridge will enjoy a rare home advantage, with organisers last year announcing the race would take place on the Great Ouse river at Ely.

Ely is hosting the race for a second time after it was moved from London in 1944 during World War Two, albeit in an unofficial edition of the event.

Oxford emerged as the winners on that occasion.

This year’s race will be the 166^th for men and the 75^th for women.

Cambridge has had the upper hand in both the men’s and women’s races to date.

Cambridge has won the men’s race on 84 occasions to date with Oxford winning 80, while Cambridge has 44 wins to Oxford’s 30 in the women’s competition.

First contested in 1829, the annual race between the two English universities, the light blues of Cambridge and the dark blues of Oxford, is one of the world’s oldest amateur sports events.

The developing coronavirus pandemic forced the 2020 event to be cancelled.

A virtual version was held last year.

Cambridge are looking to win their third straight men's and women's races.

The race will begin at Queen Adelaide Bridge and will finish around three miles later at Victoria Street Bridge.

All surrounding roads and pathways will be closed during the event as organisers instruct people to stay away, with spectators prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sarah Winckless will become the first female umpire of the men’s race in the event’s history, while Judith Packer will take charge of the women’s race.