Cambridge win 156th Boat Race

In a truly epic battle over the traditional 4 1/4 mile course River Thames in London, Great Britain, Cambridge University came from behind to win the 156th Boat Race.

Their win meant that Oxford University were denied the chance of a hat-trick, and Cambridge have now increased their overall advantage in the series. They have now won 80 races to Oxford's 75, with one dead heat (in 1877).

The international presence in the Oxford crew included on the Winklevoss twins, Cameron and Tyler, the US pair in Beijing, as well as Simon Gawlik, a German, at 7 and Irishman Martin Walsh at 2. Meanwhile Cambridge were boating three Canadians as well as Deaglan McEachern, their American president, rowing at 5.

Oxford, led by their Dutch president, the former-U23 world champion in the single Sjoerd Hamburger, were pre-race favourites. They won the toss and chose the left hand lane (known as the Surrey station) up the S-shaped course from Mortlake to Putney.

Oxford powered off the start at 47 strokes a minute, two pips ahead of Cambridge at 45. Past the long line of boat houses that mark the opening stretch, Oxford seemed to edge ahead. But as the crews settled at 37 and got into their race pace, Cambridge, who had the inside of the first bend, had drawn level.

Oxford then moved into a solid rhythm which gave them a canvas advantage by the time the bend had evened out. Despite being warned for their steering by umpire Simon Harris they reached the first timing point at the Mile a second ahead of Cambridge, with both crews then rating 35.

Oxford were then determined to maximise the advantage of the inside of the big left-hand bend which swung in their favour and, despite a slight push from Cambridge, went half a length clear, and maintained the lead at the second timing point at Hammersmith Bridge, where there was a margin of two seconds between the crews.

Cambridge then dug deep on the outside of the curve to prevent the opposition moving away. Maintaining the higher rate they began to close the gap, and Oxford upped their own rate to 36 to stave off the attack. As choppy conditions prevailed down the next straight, so the pressure from Cambridge proved relentless – they continued to close past and narrowed the Oxford lead to just 0.5sec at the third signal at Chiswick Steps.

Cambridge then went for another push, and this time it proved the crucial point in the race, and Oxford could not respond. For the first time Cambridge took the lead, finding new reserves of power in their confident stroke, while an air of desperation crept in to the Oxford boat.

Cambridge reached the next timing point at Barnes Bridge two seconds up, and the opposition faced the monumental task of moving round the outside of the final bend to recapture the lead. In a final push they upped the rate to 36 and began to close, but a confident response from Cambridge put the result in no doubt. They pushed the rate back up to 38 to move away and cross the line four seconds clear in 17mins 35secs.

"I knew this was a crew that could win – we had a chance to win so we went out there and took it," said McEachern afterwards

"They held us round the outside of the bend and we just couldn't finish them off so all credit to them." said Hamburger.