Cambridge victorious in Women's and Men's Boat Races 2025

Crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge returned to the famous Championship Course on Sunday 13 April 2025 for a sporting event that boasts nearly 200 years of competition.

A great afternoon on the river with all crews making their universities proud

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey

The Championship Course, also referred to as the Tideway, was first used in 1845 and stretches over 4.25 miles of tidal Thames in west London between Putney and Mortlake. 

The annual fixture is one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events and was first raced by crews from Oxford and Cambridge in 1829.

The women's race started in 1927, and became an annual event from 1964. It has been run on the same day and course as the men's race since 2015.

Making history

Cambridge made a quick start in the 79th Women’s Boat Race before the race was stopped after oars clashed. After a restart, Cambridge once again pulled ahead looking to establish clear water early in the race.

The distance between the boats continued to grow and Cambridge Women remained in the lead to cross the finish line first, securing the win by 2.5 lengths in a time of 19:25.

Oxford Men

Image credit: Row360/The Boat Race Company

The start of the men’s race was delayed due to debris in the water, and crews had a nervous wait for several minutes before they could get underway.

Both crews got off to a good start and were neck and neck before Cambridge began to edge ahead.

Under Hammersmith, Cambridge Men had moved to a clear water lead, which they stretched out to claim victory by 5.5 lengths in a time of 16:56.

The University of Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, CBE,FRS, FMedSci said: 'A great afternoon on the river with all crews making their universities proud. I’m so impressed by our Oxford crews for their commitment and hard work. Their gritty and skilled performances today are evidence of the dedication of our student crews and the coaches and support teams. Next year! Thanks also go to all the supporters and my warmest congratulations to Cambridge and their coaches as their impressive run of wins continues.'

The event is regularly attended by over 200,000 spectators at the banks of the river and watched by millions more on television.

Large crowds line the banks

Image credit: Row360/The Boat Race Company

Find out more about The Boat Race 2025.

See also: Men’s Boat Race results and Women’s Boat Race results.