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The 158th edition of the Harvard-Yale Regatta, America’s original intercollegiate athletic event, began Friday evening, June 6 with the 4V / Combination Race of two miles and continues Saturday, June 7 with the third varsity (two miles, 5:15pm), second varsity (three miles, 6 pm), and first varsity (four miles, 7 pm) races, aired on ESPN+ .
The race was first held on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee in 1852 when Yale challenged Harvard to “test the superiority of the oarsmen of the two colleges.” The original regatta was largely an event staged to promote the Boston, Concord, and Montreal railway, according to Thomas Mendenhall’s history of the first regatta.
This year’s regatta features the IRA-winning Harvard third varsity and the silver-medal second and first varsities. Last year, Yale won the second and third varsity races for the F. Valentine Chappell Trophy and New London Cup, respectively. Harvard is the defending holder of the Sexton Cup, for the first varsity Harvard-Yale race winner.
