boat race boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames oxford went race reigning champions having won previous year race year race umpired rower cambridge won half lengths time minutes seconds victory took overall record oxford favour race years following outbreak world war background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues race held taken place mile championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide oxford went race reigning champions having won race quarters length led overall victories cambridge excluding dead heat oxford coaches rowed university races son rowed times president race time blue cambridge coached rowed race eleventh year umpire old rowed cambridge races according author oxford rower cambridge crew rapidly developed crew gave promise fast conversely noted oxford suffered material followed constant changes crew order resulted merely good men boat crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents oxford crew saw participants return including cox taking fourth race cambridge crew included participants including making fourth appearance event won gold medals men summer olympics rowing defeated final rowed race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford bright sunshine light wind smooth water umpire started race rating slower oxford cambridge took lead quarters length ahead extended lead length quarter mile_post continued pull away passed hammersmith_bridge according took things easy rough water barnes bridge went pass finishing post half lengths ahead time minutes seconds cambridge victory race took overall record event oxford favour concluded oxford poor crew individually lot talent comparison noted cambridge reasonably high class crew lacked race result outbreak world war time break annual tradition conflict blues killed including participants cox cambridge crew oxford boat
The Boat Race 1914