boat race boat race took place march oxford won race quarters length margins victory history contest reserve race isis beat oxford won women race background boat race annual competition oxford_university cambridge_university held competition mile race river_thames southwest london rivalry major point honour universities followed united_kingdom worldwide cambridge went race reigning champions having won race feet led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat race sponsored consecutive year women boat race took place annual fixture 1960s contest conducted race held river_thames day men main reserve races reserve race contested oxford isis boat cambridge boat held usually takes place prior main boat race crews despite weighing pound man opponents cambridge pre race favourites boats contained blues oxford cox attended cambridge cox ellie attended girls school familiar course oxford crew contained american international rowers dutch international cambridge stroke cousin oxford bow world champion rowed alongside fellow british cambridge international rowers included american german president race description cambridge won coin toss elected start northern bank middlesex thames despite cambridge cox having hand raised indicate cambridge crew ready commence race umpire started race stroke rate oxford took early lead cambridge pulled level crews passed taking slight lead round surrey bend cambridge number mayer suffered attack collapsed allowing oxford draw second approached barnes bridge sprint finish oxford pulled away quarters length clear finishing post oxford finished time minutes seconds cambridge finishing seconds quarters length oxford second victory previous years brought overall result cambridge favour finish following tradition oxford crew threw cox water celebration mayer hospitalised minutes race initially considered result exhaustion later diagnosed following attack reserve race oxford isis beat cambridge earlier oxford won 57th women race half lengths reaction said neck neck absolute belief time olympic gold said race truly amazing cambridge coach generous defeat credit oxford awesome job took chance fantastic race oxford coach said believed barnes bridge rowing knew wanted simon barnes times noted cambridge early oxford lead went ahead end oxford crew kept away finish sight cambridge yielded
The Boat Race 2002