Favourites Oxford beat Cambridge in 159th Boat Race

Team Oxford celebrates after crossing finishing line in 159th Boat Race Oxford has won the 159th annual Boat Race in front of a bumper crowd lining the banks of the Thames. Cambridge got off to a flyer of a start but Oxford crept back

into it and opened up half a length's advantage in the early stages. Despite Cambridge managing to stay in touch with the leaders, the Dark Blues took the upper hand and opened up a gap with the help of the significant Surrey Bend.
Oxford crossed the finish line of Chiswick Bridge almost a length and a half ahead.
Oxford's Constantine Louloudis said: "It was a heck of a race. We fancied our chances but Cambridge made it very difficult for us, we had to push hard."
The Boat Race, an annual contest, takes place between two rowing crews from Oxford and Cambridge universities. The Race takes place close to Easter each year on the River Thames in West London between Putney and Mortlake.
The first race took place in 1829 in Henley on Thames following a challenge between old school friends. Since the second race in 1836 the contest has taken place in London.
The victory was Oxford's 77th, but keeps them second behind Cambridge's 81 wins. There was one dead-heat in 1877.
The Boat Race course, known as the Championship Course is 4 miles, 374 yards or 6.8 Km long. It stretches between Putney and Mortlake on the River Thames in South West London.
The crew who wins the coin toss before the race chooses which side (or station) they will race on. The stations are known as Middlesex and Surrey, with advantages and disadvantages for each side because of the bends in the river.

The Race starts downstream of Putney Bridge and passes under Hammersmith Bridge and Barnes Bridge before finishing just before Chiswick Bridge.
The record time for the course of 16 minutes 19 seconds was set by Cambridge in 1998.
The teams compete in eight oared rowing boats, each boat is steered by a cox who sits in the stern or back of the boat. The cox is the only crew member who faces in the direction they are going.
Cambridge University Boat Club and Oxford University Boat Club train and select the rowers and cox for their universities crew. All the crew members are students.
Both universities have a reserve crew who race half-an-hour prior to the main race, Oxford's reserve boat is called Isis, Cambridge's is called Goldie.
The two crews are known as the Blue Boats after the award their universities give them for competing in the race.
From 2015 The Women's Boat Race will take place on the same day on the Tideway.
The Cambridge crew wear light blue, while Oxford wear dark blue.