The Boat Race 2013

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.

[8] Race director David Searle urged nobody to repeat the disruption of 2012, saying "What I would say to anybody thinking of doing that, is that it's unbelievably dangerous ... We had practised emergency stops and it worked".

[8][17] Oxford's Sean Bowden who was coaching the university for an eighteenth time, was "very satisfied" with his crew.

[11] The weather conditions were adverse, with a "brisk wind" and snow flurries prior to the race.

[11] The race commenced at 4:31 p.m., and despite a good start from Cambridge, Oxford quickly moved to hold a half-length lead.

[11] With blades nearly overlapping, Umpire Pinsent issued warnings to both coxes to avoid a clash, and approaching Hammersmith Bridge, Oxford's lead extended to nearly a length.

"[11] His Light Blue counterpart, Fieldman, remarked: "I asked a lot of the guys and they gave it me every time.