 The Boat Race is an annual competition between the boat clubs of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge . First held in 1829 , the competition is a 4 @.@ 2 @-@ mile ( 6 @.@ 8 km ) race along the River Thames in southwest London . The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide . Oxford went into the race as reigning champions , having won the 2000 race by three lengths , but Cambridge led overall with 76 victories to Oxford 's 69 ( excluding the " dead heat " of 1877 ) . The race was sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management for the second consecutive year . 
