 The 34th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1877 . The Boat Race is an annual side @-@ by @-@ side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames . The race ended in a dead heat , the first and only time the event has ended in such a fashion . Despite the formal declaration of a tie , Oxford believed that they were the victors . The controversy surrounding the result led to significant changes to the way in which the race was conducted including the introduction of finishing posts and former Blues as umpires . 
