Held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames.

[1] First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.

[12] Oxford's crew included the Winklevoss twins (Cameron and Tyler), who rowed in the 2008 Olympic Games for the United States in the men's coxless pair.

[14] Cambridge's bowman, Canadian international rower Robert Weitemeyer, had won the gold in the men's eight at the World Rowing Cup in 2007.

[19] They took an early lead and were nearly half a length up on Cambridge by the time the crews passed the Harrods Furniture Depository.

[19] Oxford attempted to find a quicker racing line and were still in touch, but Cambridge inched away from them, passing the finishing post 1+1⁄3 lengths ahead in a time of 17 minutes 35 seconds.

Cambridge's Goldie beat Oxford's Isis in the reserve race by two lengths, their first win in three years.