And with its intriguing mix of colour, spectacle, intense competition and casual fun, it combines all the ingredients that made London's 'other' marathon such a success; but with the addition of dozens of new photo opportunities as the race progresses from semi-rural Surrey past many historic landmarks until it reaches the striking Docklands skyline.

The Great River Race attracts both the true racer and the leisure rower and, in developing into 'The London River Marathon', is doing for rowing what the London Marathon did for running. Not surprising when the course is a gruelling 22 miles from Richmond to Island Gardens/Greenwich.

It was inspired by the immense interest generated by a 1987 charity event in which the famous Doggett's Coat & Badge winners from The Company of Watermen & Lightermen rowed its shallop, or passenger barge, from Hampton Court to The Tower of London.

The idea that emerged was to find the UK Traditional Boat Champions by issuing an all-comers challenge to beat the Doggett's men - racing on a handicap basis. Entries were restricted to traditional-style, coxed craft powered by a minimum of four oars or paddles. And, in keeping with the Company's historic responsibility to apprentice and licence Watermen to carry passengers on the tidal Thames, each boat had to carry a passenger.

To give all crews an equal chance, entrants were handicapped according to the calculated potential performance of their boats. This was done on a scientific basis, using naval architects calculations and a sophisticated computer programme. And, to add spice to the contest, it was to be run on a 'slowest away first, fastest last' basis, with every boat individually timed over the course. Despite a start line handicap period of well over an hour, some close racing was expected - and achieved.

The winners on handicap would hold, for one year, the handsome Challenge Trophy of The Company of Watermen & Lightermen - featuring a mounted original Watermen's badge - issued to William Savage of Gravesend in 1803. Trophies were presented to the winners of six other classes, while a fund was established to enable cash prizes to be paid direct to the successful entrants' nominated charities.

Starting from scratch with a new event, we had naturally high hopes but more modest expectations; in fact, the eventual entry list more than fulfilled our wildest forecasts.

In 1988, 72 entrants chose more than 20 boat types representing six countries, including an Hawaiian outrigger war canoe, Viking longboat, Norwegian scow, Canadian C-8 canoe, Chinese dragonboat, and numerous Cornish pilot and other gigs, skiffs, cutters, ASC, naval whalers and the like to take on the Watermen's shallop.

All were propelled by a bunch of enthusiasts ranging from barely-teenage Sea Scouts to hardened offshore rowing veterans more used to racing anywhere from the south coast to the south seas and entered by such diverse outfits as museums, rowing clubs, pubs, youth organisations, police, fire brigades, the armed services, boating societies and groups just out take part and beat the course. And beat it they did, with just one starter failing to finish.

Since then the Race has gone from strength to strength. While quadrupling in size, it has attracted such fascinating entries as a magnificent replica 54' bronze age Greek galley; canvas and tar Irish naomhogs of the type reputed to have crossed the Atlantic in the eighth century; a new shallop and Thames wherry (both constructed along traditional lines especially for the Race) and the world's oldest racing rowing boat, the 'Royal Oak' built in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, at the beginning of the last century. Not to mention our own Thames Watermen cutters and now the Great River Race Jolly Boat, both built for us by Mark Edwards at Richmond Bridge Boathouses.

And it has become truly international, with crews coming from America, Canada, Holland, Sweden, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, as well as all over the UK.

With entries now nudging 300 boats carrying 2,000-odd competitors racing for 35 trophies, The Great River Race has become the biggest and most prestigious event of its kind in Europe.

We look forward to the twentieth Race on Saturday, September 8, 2007.