ITV today announced that Mark Durden-Smith will join the network to present live coverage of The 2007 Boat Race.

Durden-Smith will lead ITV Sport’s award-winning team for live coverage of the 153rd race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities on ITV1. He will join double-Olympic rowing gold medallist James Cracknell at ITV’s studio in Putney for the historic race, held on Saturday April 7th.

An experienced sports broadcaster, Mark began his career in journalism at GLR and the BBC, before joining Sky Sports in 1996 where he presented a wide range of sports programming including their BAFTA winning rugby coverage. In addition to news and sport, Mark has also fronted entertainment programming including Sky One’s coverage of ‘The Match’, the National Lottery for the BBC and ITV2’s ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now’.

Mark Sharman, Director of ITV Sport, said: “Mark has a proven background in sports broadcasting. His addition will further enhance our coverage of The Boat Race, which continues to go from strength to strength.”

Mark Durden-Smith said: I’m genuinely chuffed to bits to have been asked to join ITV’s highly successful and innovative Boat Race coverage. The Boat Race has to be one of the greatest challenges, both physical and mental, in world sport. I can’t wait to be riverside on Easter Saturday to see what shade of blue rules the river. It’s a real honour to be involved. “

ITV1 coverage of the 2006 Boat Race peaked at 7.2 million viewers, with 6.0 million tuning into the 2005 race.