 The course for the race was a 2 @.@ 25 @-@ mile ( 3 @.@ 62 km ) stretch of the River Thames between Hambleden Lock and Henley Bridge . Cambridge won the toss and elected to start on the Berkshire side of the river , handing the Buckinghamshire side to Oxford . According to the author William Fisher MacMichael , " it was as fine a day as our climate allows a June day to be . " The race had originally been scheduled to start at 6 : 00 p.m. but this was altered to 7 : 00 p.m. and was further delayed . Upon the start of the race , by which time around 20 @,@ 000 people were reckoned to be in attendance to watch , the Oxford boat was steered close to the Cambridge boat , forcing it to row close to the shore . This drew complaints from the Cambridge crew , who insisted that the race be restarted . The Oxford crew relented , and the race began for the second time at 7 : 55 p.m. In the early stages of the race , the two crews were evenly matched , but after they passed an island in the river , Oxford drew ahead . 
