LONDON -- Oxford and Cambridge rekindled their traditional rowing rivalry as the River Thames hosts the 197th year of the Boat Race on Saturday as the women's race, in its 99th year, was claimed by Oxford, while Cambridge dominated the men's race once again.
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The Boat Race, competed between two of the country's most illustrious institutions, is one of the country's longest-running sporting traditions.
Supremacy has ebbed and flowed between Oxford and Cambridge over the near-200-year history of the contest, but Cambridge have had the upper hand of late.
The light blues (Cambridge) lead the dark blues (Oxford) 49-31 in the women's race and 89-81 in the men's.
As ever in this race, Olympians and world champions were mixing it with regular student athletes as they made a bid for glory in west London.
The 4.2-mile Championship Course wound from Putney Bridge past Fulham's Craven Cottage home and under Hammersmith Bridge before the finish line just before Chiswick Bridge.
This year marked a break with tradition as Channel 4 broadcast the race for the first time. Boat Race organisers are hoping the channel's revamped coverage, featuring presenters such as Jamie Laing, will help boost the event's appeal.
Organisers expected more than 200,000 spectators to line the banks of the Thames to watch the race unfold.
