 The 9th Boat Race took place on the River Thames on 29 March 1849 . Typically held annually , the event is a side @-@ by @-@ side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge . The race was won by Cambridge who triumphed over Oxford " easily " . As a result of the nature of the defeat , Oxford challenged Cambridge to a second race that year , which was to be held in December , the first and only time the Boat Race was competed for twice in a calendar year . Every member of the Cambridge crew came from Trinity College . 
