Oxford’s women ended eight years of Cambridge dominance in the Boat Race with a commanding performance on the River Thames, while Cambridge’s men secured a fourth consecutive win in choppy conditions. The women’s race saw Oxford lead from the start, building a six-second advantage by Hammersmith Bridge, and holding off a late Cambridge surge to win for the first time since 2016.
The victory was led by Olympic bronze medallist Heidi Long, who praised her team’s collective effort. “This is a brilliant, brilliant group of women,” she said. “We are one team and we do this together.” Oxford women’s coach Allan French described the win as “years in the making,” highlighting the resilience of rowers like Annie Anezakis and Sarah Marshall, who returned for multiple attempts.
In the men’s race, Cambridge overpowered Oxford despite a strong challenge from the dark blues. Cambridge led by less than a length at Hammersmith Bridge but pulled away to win by four lengths, with cox Simon Hatcher describing the conditions as “biblical.” Cambridge coach Rob Baker said the crew was “up there” with the best he has coached since 2002.
The results leave Cambridge with 89 men’s race wins and 49 women’s race wins, while Oxford have 81 and 31 respectively. The Oxford women’s triumph was widely seen as the story of the day, ending a period of Cambridge dominance that stretched back to 2016.
