Defeated Oxford oarsmen may take solace from the fact a very different ambassador for their university claimed victory where they came up short.
The rowers may have lost the Boat Race – but on the other side of London a four-legged fellow blue took home the silver from the Goat Race.
The light-hearted contest – which draws crowds even though it lacks the 162-year history – has been held at Spitalfields City Farm every year for the past eight.
It pits two pygmy goats against one another as they lock horns and race around the family attraction.
Dozens turned out for the unusual spectacle, which saw the Oxford goat narrowly snatch victory against its Cambridge rival from the grass-munching jaws of defeat.
Some shared their experiences of the event on social media.
In south-west London, thousands lined the route to watch Cambridge beat Oxford in the men’s Boat Race for the first time in four years.
Oxford won the women’s contest, with the Cambridge team nearly sinking in an unusually choppy Thames.
