Home : Local Walks : - Oxford-Cambridge Varsity March
The annual Varsity March is a mammoth 130 km / 81 mile trek
between Oxford and Cambridge, completed in under 48 hours without any
sleep! The route passes through five counties (Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire), walking
on a mixture of footpaths and quiet country roads. Cambridge have done the
March every year since 1998 (except for a break in 2001), but this is the first
year Oxford is joining in. So far all marches have been completed
successfully, although not all participants have walked the full distance.
This year the Varsity March is on the weekend of 21-22 June. The
current *provisional* plan is to set off from St Mary's Church Oxford
at around 10.15am on Saturday morning and (hopefully!) get to Cambridge Sunday
evening, hopefully in time to get the last bus back! We will aim to stop for at
least one pub meal on the way, with other stops to eat food brought from home.
If you are interested in joining us for all or part of the route, or would
like more information, please email Mel (melissa.chng_at_ccc.ox.ac.uk).
Please note that the Varsity March is very mentally and physically
demanding and is not something to be undertaken too lightly! You will
need a reasonable level of fitness if you plan to walk all or a
substantial part of the route.
It is quite possible to join us for only part of the distance (there are
several points at which you can join or leave the route by public
transport). However, this needs careful planning in advance:
unplanned dropping out of the walk can be very inconvenient and/or
expensive. Once again, please get in touch with Mel to discuss possible
options.
Notwithstanding all of the above, the Varsity March can be a very
fulfilling and rewarding experience if you manage to complete it, and
surely you have to do at least one crazy thing as a student!