May Bumps

{|class="infobox" style="width: 20em; font-size: 95%;" |- |colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 130%;background: #8EEBD8;color:black"|May Bumps |- |colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 100%; background: #8EEBD8; color:black"|Head of the River (The Headship) |- | style="text-align: center"| Peterhouse Open | style="text-align: center"| Jesus Women |- |style="width:25%; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;"| |style="width:25%; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center;"| |- |Highest 2 Eight (Open) |Lady Margaret (Division I) |- |Highest 2 Eight (Women) |Jesus College (Division II) |- |Course |Cam (upstream) |- |Course length |c. 2200m for the Head boat

|colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 80%; background: #8EEBD8; color:black"|Last Mays: 17th June – 20th June 2026 |- | colspan="2" style="text-align: center"|

The May Bumps (also May Races, Mays) 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.John Durack, George Gilbert & Dr John Marks, The Bumps: An Account of the Cambridge University Bumping Races 1827–1999, 2000. . 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 (Wednesday to Saturday) in mid-June and is run as a bumps race.

Structure of the May Bumps

The races are run in divisions, each containing 17 crews. The number of crews in each bottom division varies yearly depending on new entrants. Each crew contains eight rowers and one coxswain. A total of 154 crews took part in 2014, totalling around 1390 participants. There are currently six divisions for men's crews (referred to as M1, M2...M6) and four divisions for women's crews (similarly W1–W4). The divisions represent a total race order with Division 1 at the top. The ultimate aim is to try and finish Head of the River (also said as gaining the 'Headship'), i.e. 1st position in division 1.

At the start, signalled by a cannon, each crew's coxswain holds on to a chain attached to the bank. The chain points are 150 ft (approx. 45 m), meaning each crew is separated by a distance of about boat lengths (approximately 30 m or 90 ft). Once the race has begun, a crew must attempt to catch up with the crew ahead of it and bump (physically touch or overtake) it before the crew behind does the same to them. A crew which bumps or is bumped must pull to the side of the river to allow all the other crews to continue racing. If a crew is able to catch and bump the boat which started three places in front of it, after the two in front have already bumped out, the crew is said to have over-bumped. A crew which neither bumps a crew ahead nor is bumped by a crew behind before crossing the finishing post is said to have rowed over.

After the race, any crew which bumps or over-bumps swaps places with the crew that it has bumped for the following day's racing. A crew which rows over stays in the same position. Crews finishing at the top of a division also start at the bottom of the next division, as the sandwich boat, in an attempt to try to move up into the next division. The process is repeated over four days, allowing crews to move up or down several places in the overall order of boats. The finishing order of one year's May Bumps are then used as the starting order of the following year's races.

Head of the River Open May Bumps (1887–2026) 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 - 2021 - 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

May Bumps were cancelled between 1915 and 1918, and in 1940 due to war, and in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic."May Bumps 2020: University issue update after annual event cancelled" - Cambridge News. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022."CUCBC Cancels May Bumps 2021" - Varsity. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2022. Prior to 1946 were two separate rowing clubs: 1st Trinity and 3rd Trinity, hence both separate and combined titles.First and Third Trinity Boat Club.

Women's May Bumps (1974–2026) 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 - 2021 - 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

The Women's May Bumps were rowed in coxed fours between 1974 and 1989, changing to coxed eights from 1990 onwards. A new start order was used for the women's 1990 races. May Bumps were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Women's May Bumps, in which Caius took headship.

Table of winning boats (1887–2026) Blade Boat Head of the River: Men Head of the River: Women Head of the River: Total Winning years: Men Winning years: Women Jesus 1909, 1910, 1912–14, 1920–22, 1924–25, 1927, 1930, 1935–39, 1947–48, 1955–58, 1972 1988, 1993–94, 2005, 2007, 2017–2018, 2023, 2025, 2026 Trinity (Combined) 1889, 1893, 1897–1906, 1911, 1919, 1928–29, 1945, 1964–67, 1973, 2008–10 - Lady Margaret 1926, 1950–54, 1959–61, 1974–75, 1979–81, 1983, 1988–89, 2016–18, 2024-2025 1991–92 Caius 1987, 1998–2000, 2002–07, 2011–15, 2019, 2022-23 2000–02, 2024 Trinity Hall 1887–88, 1890–92, 1894–96, 1907–08, 1946, 1992–95 1982–83 Pembroke 1923, 1931–34, 1976–78, 1985–86 1997–98, 2006, 2008–10 3rd Trinity 1889, 1893, 1901–06, 1929 n/a Downing 1982, 1984, 1990–91, 1996–97 2011–12, 2014–16 1st & 3rd Trinity 1945, 1964–67, 1973, 2008–10 Clare 1941–44, 1949 1974, 1979–1980, 2013 Churchill 1978, 1985–87, 1989–90 Emmanuel 2001 1995–96, 1999, 2004 1st Trinity 1898–1900, 1911, 1928 n/a Newnham n/a 1975–76, 2003, 2019, 2022 Fitzwilliam 1969–71 New Hall (now Murray Edwards) n/a 1977, 1981, 1984 Queens’ 1962–63, 1968 Peterhouse 2026 N.B.: Prior to 1946 were two separate rowing clubs: 1st Trinity and 3rd Trinity, hence both separate and combined titles.

Anglia Ruskin, Christ's, Clare Hall, Corpus Christi, Darwin, Girton, Homerton, Hughes Hall, King's, Magdalene, Robinson, St. Catharine's, Selwyn, Sidney Sussex, St Edmund's, Wolfson, Addenbrooke's and the Veterinary School are the regular entrants never to have finished Head of the River for either the men's or women's events.

Blades, Super-Blades, Technical Blades, and Spoons

Four boat 'awards' are informally/formally recognised by the individual college boat clubs that take part in the Cambridge May Bumps, these accolades are awarded as follows:

Blades: The accolade of earning 'blades' (referring to the rowing oars used by crews) is given to crews that bump up at every opportunity: that is, four bumps on each day in usual circumstances, or five if a crew bumps up to "sandwich" boat. Crews that achieve blades are often given the opportunity to purchase decoratory oars from their college boat club, to serve as a reminder of their contribution to the club's success. For most college rowers, who do not attempt to become University Blues rowers, earning blades is the highest rowing related achievement that can be obtained. Obtaining blades is, for any crew, a rare occurrence, though at each bumps several crews generally "blade". Crews who obtain blades are often photographed and recorded on the walls of the college boathouse to serve as a longer term reminder of their success, and to inspire future generations of college rowers. In the occasion that a crew earns blades, they also earn the right to row back to their college boathouse on the last day of the calendar with their college flag raised high; this practise allows for recognition of the achievement by members of other college boat clubs and the general public watching the races. Super-Blades: In the event that a crew bumps up more than four times, including at least one overbump (with no row overs/bumping down) they are said to have earned 'super-blades'. This is rarer because the circumstances leading to the possibility are uncommon. Technical Blades: In the case that a crew does not bump up on each opportunity of rowing, but does manage to bump up net four places in the overall standings over the course of the week, with no bumping down, i.e. 'making up' for any row overs with an overbump or successive bumps into a higher division, then they are said to have qualified (at the discretion of the captain at each college boat club) for 'Technical Blades'. Technical bladed rowers are usually afforded the same opportunity to obtain a ceremonial blade as those crews that obtain regular blades. Spoons: This 'award' is obtained by crews that are bumped down'' on every day of the May bumps calendar. The awarding of spoons is an informal occasion by the crew captain, often this captain will actually buy a wooden spoon (decorated) for each crew member as a reminder that "at least they tried".

The Pegasus Cup

The Pegasus Cup''' is a Cambridge rowing prize first awarded in 2006. It was donated by Milton Brewery and will be awarded annually to the most successful college boat club competing in the Cambridge May Bumping Races. The winner is decided by means of a points system, which is described in the Cambridge University Combined Boat Club handbook as follows:

To be eligible a club must have at least one men's and one women's boat (except in the case of single sex colleges where two boats of the same sex may be permitted). In the coronavirus year of 2020, May Bumps were not held. Instead, the Pegasus Cup was awarded to the Cambridge college boat club whose members raised the greatest sum for charity (per capita)—Lady Margaret Boat Club, who raised over £3500. The year is asterisked on the Pegasus Cup to distinguish this unusual occurrence.

Winners

2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: / 2015: 2016: 2017: 2018: 2019: 2020*: 2022: 2023: 2024: 2025:

2025 finishing positions (2026 starting positions)

Results:, CUCBC.

Men's 1st Division

II

Women's 1st Division

See also Eights Week, the equivalent event at Oxford Lent Bumps, the twinned event in Cambridge in late February or early March Links to individual May Bumps results

References

External links

CUCBC—the organisation that runs the bumps Cambridge bumps charts—archive of results 1992–-2005 Cam FM Bumps site