Cambridge win Boat Race

London - Cambridge defied the odds to win the 156th University Boat Race by more than a length on Saturday, claiming victory over rivals Oxford for the first time in three years.

Oxford had the early lead on the River Thames but the Light Blues stayed in touch on a long outside bend then pulled clear towards the finish to win by a length and a third in 17 minutes and 35 seconds.

Cambridge now lead the world-famous annual duel between England's oldest universities by 80 wins to 75.

"It was pretty tough," Cambridge crew president Deaglan McEachern said after being handed the trophy by British Olympic rowing legend Steve Redgrave.

"I knew that if we just stuck with them we were the crew that was going to be able to hold on and we were going to pull through in the end.

"It wasn't fun but it was good. It was an affirmation of everything we've been doing all year."

Oxford crew president Sjoerd Hamburger said the defeat was "more than painful".

"We had a canvas overlap but we couldn't finish it off and we slowly ran into trouble," the Dutch Olympian said.

"We kept on fighting and I'm extremely proud of the boys but it wasn't enough."

Oxford won the toss and chose to start on the southern Surrey side of the River Thames, a safer bet in the choppy conditions.

They opened up an early advantage on the first bend as they passed Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham Football Club, which should have favoured Cambridge on the Middlesex side.

The Dark Blues were half a length ahead as they went past the Harrods furniture warehouse landmark.

Cambridge then began to creep back after they passed under Hammersmith Bridge.

Oxford maintained the inside line as they went around the Barnes peninsula on the Surrey side but failed to press home their advantage and pull away from the Light Blues.

The crews were neck-and-neck with the blades close to clashing with a mile and a quarter to go.

Cambridge then opened up a six-foot lead and were about half a length up at the final bridge.

The Dark Blues began to close slightly but Cambridge held onto their lead, putting in 38 strokes a minute to take victory by two seconds at the Chiswick Bridge finishing post.

Cambridge celebrated in the traditional fashion, hurling their cox Ted Randolph into the river before diving in themselves.

Cambridge now lead the series that began in 1829 with 80 wins to Oxford's 75, with the 1877 race declared a dead heat.

Organisers expected more than 250 000 people to line the London river banks to watch the action, with millions more tuning in around the world.