The 76th Boat Race took place on 5 April 1924. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

along the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

. Oxford were reigning champions, having won the previous year's race, and their crew was significantly heavier than their opponents for this year's race. Umpired by former rower

Frederick I. Pitman Frederick (Freddie) Islay Pitman (18 April 1863 – 22 January 1942) was a British rower who rowed in the Boat Race three times and won the Diamond Challenge Sculls and the Wingfield Sculls in 1886. Biography Pitman was born at Edinb ...

, Cambridge won by lengths in a time of 18 minutes 41 seconds, the fastest time since 1911. The victory took the overall record in the event to 40–35 in Oxford's favour.

Background

Harcourt Gilbey Gold, Vanity Fair, 1899-03-23

The Boat Race The Boat Race is an annual set of rowing races between the Cambridge University Boat Club and the Oxford University Boat Club, traditionally rowed between open-weight eights on the River Thames in London, England. There are separate men's ...

is a side-by-side rowing competition between the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

(sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the

Championship Course The Championship Course is a stretch of the River Thames between Mortlake and Putney in London, England. It is a well-established course for rowing races, particularly the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The course is on the tidal reaches of th ...

on the

in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide. Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1923 race by three-quarters of a length, and led overall with 40 victories to Cambridge's 34 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). Oxford were coached by G. C. Bourne who had rowed for the university in the

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...

and 1883 races, Harcourt Gilbey Gold (Dark Blue president for the 1900 race and four-time Blue) and E. D. Horsfall (who had rowed in the three races prior to the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

). Cambridge's coaches were Francis Escombe, P. Haig-Thomas (four-time Blue who had rowed between 1902 and 1905) and David Alexander Wauchope (who had rowed in the 1895 race). For the sixteenth year the umpire was

Old Etonian Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

who rowed for Cambridge in the

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

and 1886 races. Cambridge had few former

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

to call upon and despite measles striking at least one of the crew down, their rowing style was described by author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater as "harmoniously together".Drinkwater, p. 142 Conversely, Oxford's crew was experienced yet a "lack of uniformity" in early training evolved into a crew with "a turn of such extraordinary speed that being was as much as four to one on Oxford".

Crews

The Oxford crew weighed an average of 12 st 5.5 lb (78.5 kg), per rower more than their opponents. Cambridge saw a single rower return with Boat Race experience in their number six T. D. A. Collet. Conversely, Oxford's crew included six individuals who had represented the Dark Blues in the event, including bow P. C. Mallam who was making his fourth consecutive appearance.Burnell, p. 72 Oxford's American

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

W. P. Mellen was the only non-British participant registered in the event, having been educated at the

Middlesex School Middlesex School is a coeducational, non-sectarian, day and boarding independent secondary school for grades 9-12 located in Concord, Massachusetts. It was founded as an all-boys school in 1901 by a Roxbury Latin School alumnus, Frederick Winsor, ...

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the conflu ...

Race

Cambridge won the toss and elected to start from the Surrey station, handing the Middlesex side of the river to Oxford. Umpire Pitman started the race in bright sunshine and a light breeze at 2:23 p.m.Drinkwater, pp. 141–142 Oxford took a brief lead, out-rating their opponents significantly in the first minute, but by the time the crews passed the Mile Post, the Light Blues were nearly a quarter of a length ahead. As both boats passed under

Hammersmith Bridge Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough ...

, Cambridge had extended their lead and were clear of Oxford, despite rowing two strokes per minute slower. Even though the Dark Blues made a spurt, Cambridge pulled away and were three lengths ahead by Chiswick Steps. According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, "from here they had it all their own way to the finish".Drinkwater, p. 143 Cambridge passed the finishing post four and a half lengths ahead, in a time of 18 minutes 41 seconds, the fastest winning time since the 1911 race and the second fastest time in the history of the event. It was their fourth win in five years and took the overall record in the event to 40–35 in Oxford's favour.

References

Notes Bibliography * * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boat Race 1924 1924 in English sport The Boat Race April 1924 sports events 1924 in rowing 1924 sports events in London