Cambridge defied the odds and defeated rivals Oxford for the first time in three years to win the 156th University Boat Race in the United Kingdom by more than a length.

The rowing crew from Oxford University were the favourites and took the lead early on but Cambridge hung on and finally managed to pull clear as they neared the finish. The Cambridge Light Blues won the classic River Thames boat race by a length and a third.

Crews from Cambridge University have chalked up 80 victories in the world-famous duel between England's oldest seats of learning, while Oxford have 70 wins.

The boat race began in 1829 and is a popular tourist attraction; organisers expected more than 250,000 people to line the banks of the Thames to watch the race and millions of people across the globe to follow it on television.