boat race boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race umpired cambridge rower oxford won canvas time minutes seconds point contest clear water boats race described closest fought time second win seven years took overall record event cambridge favour background boat race rowing competition university_of_oxford referred dark blues university_of_cambridge referred light blues held race takes place mile championship course river thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom broadcast worldwide cambridge went race reigning champions having won race half lengths won previous races led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat oxford coaches rowed dark blues race hugh edwards rowed oxford rowed wartime race cambridge coached time blue coach rowed times race umpired time british rowed cambridge races cambridge arrived clear favourites win oxford improvements build race shortened odds rowing correspondent suggested happen rowing correspondent times reported cambridge quoted start race favourites crews evenly matched oxford good chance breaking run cambridge wins crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents oxford crew contained rowers boat_race experience including stroke making appearance event cambridge saw participants return including cox oxford number participant registered non british harvard_university rower united_states race cambridge won toss elected start middlesex station handing surrey river oxford weather gale force winds snow disrupting race limiting number spectators lining banks thames thousand started race cambridge cleaner start rough conditions held quarter length lead head pub despite making number light blues pull away oxford stroke maintaining higher stroke rate touch keeping sheltered conditions slower water cambridge passed mile_post lead half length bend river beginning favour oxford lead slowly eroded boats passed nearly level hammersmith_bridge alongside dark blues half length ahead gaining cambridge cox pushed oxford boat centre river passed barnes bridge lead quarter length oxford won canvas approximately feet time minutes seconds margin victory win attempts point course race boat clear water advantage opponent rowing correspondent described race closest fought time writing observer suggested exciting races rowed
The Boat Race 1952