The 88th Boat Race took place on 4 April 1936. Held annually, the Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. Umpired by the former Boat Race coach Francis Escombe, Cambridge won by five lengths in a time of 21 minutes 6 seconds. The record thirteenth consecutive victory took the overall record in the event to 47–40 in Cambridge's favour. The heaviest crew up to that year in Boat Race history, Cambridge were the first to weigh more than an average of 13 st (82.4 kg) per individual.