- by - side ▁row ing ▁race ▁between ▁cre ws ▁from ▁the ▁Univers ities ▁of ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Cambridge ▁along ▁the ▁River ▁Th ames . ▁Oxford ▁won ▁the ▁race . ▁ ▁Oxford ' s ▁crew ▁featured ▁the ▁oldest ▁compet itor ▁in ▁Bo at ▁Race ▁history . ▁ ▁The ▁race ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁very ▁difficult ▁weather ▁conditions ▁– ▁strong ▁wind s ▁and ▁heavy ▁rain ▁– ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁slow est ▁winning ▁time ▁in ▁over ▁si xty ▁years . ▁Oxford ▁won ▁by ▁six ▁lengths , ▁the ▁largest ▁margin ▁of ▁victory ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁race . ▁ ▁Oxford ' s ▁Is is ▁beat ▁Cambridge ' s ▁Gold ie ▁in ▁the ▁reserve ▁race , ▁while ▁Oxford ▁won ▁the ▁Women ' s ▁Bo at ▁Race . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁Bo at ▁Race ▁is ▁a ▁side - by - side ▁row ing ▁competition ▁between ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford ▁( s ometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" D ark ▁Blues ") ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cambridge ▁( s ometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" Light ▁Blues "). ▁ ▁First ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁the ▁race ▁takes ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁ ▁Championship ▁Cour se ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁Th ames ▁in ▁south west ▁London . ▁ ▁The ▁rival ry ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁point ▁of ▁honour ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁univers ities ▁and ▁followed ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁broadcast ▁world wide . ▁ ▁Cambridge ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁race ▁as ▁reign ing ▁champions , ▁having ▁be aten ▁Oxford ▁by ▁over ▁a ▁length ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁year '