The Boat Race 1829 (original) (raw)

The 1st Boat Race took place at Henley-on-Thames on 10 June 1829. The race came about following a challenge laid down to the University of Oxford by University of Cambridge "to row a match at or near London, each in an eight-oared boat during the ensuing Easter vacation". Oxford wore dark blue jerseys while Cambridge wore "white with pink waistbands". In front of a crowd estimated to be around 20,000, and according to the official record, Oxford won the race "easily" in a time of 14 minutes 30 seconds. The Boat Race became an annual fixture, and as of 2022, has been contested 167 times.