Oxford women and Cambridge men win Boat Races
· BBC SportByElizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport journalist
Published
Oxford claimed their first victory in the women's Boat Race since 2016 as Cambridge won their fourth consecutive men's race.
Oxford made a blistering start to the 80th edition of the women's race on the Thames in tricky and blustery conditions along the 4.3-mile course from Putney to Chiswick.
Cambridge were unable to respond as the Dark Blues stayed strong to win by 9.4 seconds and celebrate their 31st overall success.
"I'm overwhelmed and so happy and proud," Olympic bronze medallist Heidi Long, who was leading the Oxford crew in her second Boat Race, told Channel 4.
"It was absolutely incredible and amazing."
It was a particularly sweet victory for Annie Anezakis and Sarah Marshall who had been part of three losing boats, and for Lilli Freischem whose younger sister Mia was part of the Cambridge boat.
The Cambridge men came in as strong favourites for the 171st men's event and Oxford did well to stay with them for much of the race.
But the class of the Light Blues came through in the final third as they pulled clear to triumph by 11.02 seconds for a seventh win in eight years.
"That feels amazing," said Cambridge president Noam Mouelle, who was also part of the 2023, 24 and 25 crews.
"It was a super-hard race. Everyone was blowing by halfway but we did the job early and our job was to get the job done."