▁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 . ▁Oxford ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁race ▁as ▁reign ing ▁champions , ▁having ▁won ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁race ▁by ▁ ▁lengths , ▁with ▁Cambridge ▁leading ▁overall ▁with ▁ 6 9 ▁vict ories ▁to ▁Oxford ' s ▁ 6 5 ▁( ex cluding ▁the ▁" de ad ▁heat " ▁of ▁ 1 8 7 7 ). ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁Women ' s ▁Bo at ▁Race ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 7 , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁become ▁an ▁annual ▁fi xture ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Until ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁contest ▁was ▁conducted ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Hen ley ▁Bo at ▁R aces , ▁but ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁race , ▁it ▁is ▁held ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁Th ames , ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁as ▁the ▁men ' s ▁main ▁and ▁reserve ▁races . ▁ ▁The ▁reserve ▁race , ▁cont ested ▁between