boat race took place march held annually boat race rowing race crews universities oxford cambridge river thames race umpired rower cambridge won quarter lengths time minutes seconds fourth quickest time history event victory took overall record 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 sixteen lengths led overall victories oxford excluding dead heat cambridge coached rowed light blues twice races time light blue took race rowed times oxford coaches rowed oxford races rowed represented dark blues races race umpired fifth time british rowed cambridge races crews experienced reasonable build race favourable conditions according rowing correspondent times oxford gains cambridge time conceded unlikely cambridge worried future crews cambridge crew weighed average pounds rower opponents oxford crew rowers including bow number taking consecutive race similarly cambridge saw participants return rowing consecutive race race participants registered non british representing oxford vine australian race cambridge won toss elected start surrey station handing middlesex river oxford south easterly wind race started umpire oxford rated opposition minute averaging strokes minute cambridge minute light blues held half length lead dark blues continuing stroke faster deficit reduced quarter length passed record time mile_post despite pushes oxford light blues half length ahead saw gain extra half length passed hammersmith_bridge length half ahead oxford dark blues outside long bend river kept touch prevented cambridge extending lead light blues passed length half lead crews faced head wind going started tire oxford began gain passing arches barnes bridge light blues held second lead increasing rate strokes minute oxford stroke tried pull contention boats began overlap cambridge pushed win quarter lengths time minutes seconds fastest winning time race fourth fastest time history boat race winning margin race light blues second consecutive win win years took overall record race favour according rowing correspondent times greatest battles history race cambridge boat club president said speak highly oxford magnificent row planned build early lead row clean away hard tried shake oxford tail
The Boat Race 1956