 The 1st Boat Race took place at Henley @-@ on @-@ Thames on 10 June 1829 . The race came about following a challenge laid down to the University of Oxford by University of Cambridge " to row a match at or near London , each in an eight @-@ oared boat during the ensuing Easter vacation " . Oxford wore dark blue jerseys while Cambridge wore " white with pink waistbands " . In front of a crowd estimated to be around 20 @,@ 000 , and according to the official record , Oxford won the race " easily " in a time of 14 minutes 30 seconds . The Boat Race became an annual fixture , and as of 2015 , has been contested 161 times . 
