page_title: The Boat Race 1867
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: The Boat Race 1867 / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Walter Bradford Woodgate - who wrote the rowing commentary for Vanity Fair intermittently c 1890 - 1906
context_page_description: The 24th Boat Race between crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge took place on the River Thames on 13 April 1867. In a race where the lead was exchanged several times, Oxford won by half a length in a time of 22 minutes and 39 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 14–10 in Oxford's favour.
context_section_description: The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").  The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.  Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having defeated Cambridge by three lengths in the previous year's race and led overall with thirteen wins to Cambridge's ten.
  Cambridge, according to The Field were "as nearly fit to row as possible ... their rowing was really a pleasure to behold".  They were coached by Rev. W. Maule (who had rowed for Cambridge at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1847) and D. F. Steavenson (who had rowed in the Boat Race in the 1864 and 1865 races).   Walter Bradford Woodgate, who had rowed for Oxford in the 1862 and 1863 races, and George Morrison, former Oxford University Boat Club president who had rowed three times between the 1859 and 1861 race, coached the Dark Blue crew.  Although Cambridge arrived at Putney in very good form, it was considered to their disadvantage because, according to Drinkwater, "no crew can be kept at the top of its form for more than a few days".  During practice runs, Oxford demonstrated they could outpace Cambridge, but with Frank Willan suffering from a boil, Oxford's stroke was instructed to keep the rating low for the race.  The race was umpired by Joseph William Chitty who had rowed for Oxford twice in 1849 (in the March and December races) and the 1852 race, while the starter was Edward Searle.
caption: Walter Bradford Woodgate coached the Oxford crew.
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