| 36th Boat Race | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 5 April 1879 | ||
| Winner | Cambridge | ||
| Margin of victory | 3 lengths | ||
| Winning time | 21 minutes 18 seconds | ||
| Overall record (Cambridge–Oxford) | 17–18 | ||
| Umpire | Joseph William Chitty (Oxford) | ||
| |||
The 36th Boat Race took place on 5 April 1879. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Each crew contained four Blues. In a race umpired by former Oxford rower Joseph William Chitty, Cambridge led all the way, and won by a margin of three lengths in a time of 21 minutes 18 seconds. The victory took the overall record to 18–17 in Oxford's favour.