London Marathon

Infobox Athleticrace
bgcolour = orange


imagesize = 150px
caption = 2009 Flora London Marathon Logo
date = April
location = London, United Kingdom
type = road
distance = Marathon
est = 1981
record =
homepage = [http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/ www.london-marathon.co.uk]

The London Marathon is a popular road marathon that has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April. The race is currently sponsored by Flora, as the Flora London Marathon.

In addition to being one of the top five international marathons run over the traditional distance of 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards), the London Marathon is also a large, celebratory sporting festival, second only to the Great North Run in Newcastle, in terms of the number of participants. It is one of the World Marathon Majors, a two-year series of elite marathon racing that also includes the Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin marathons.

An unusual feature is the very large amounts of money raised for charity, much more than other marathons. [ [http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9046495 The London Marathon | Give it everything you've got | Economist.com ] ] According to the race organisers, it is now the largest annual fund raising event in the world with the 2006 participants raising over £41.5 million for charity, bringing the total amount raised for charity by runners, to a grand total of £315 million. [cite web | title=Flora London Marathon website: "Press Releases" | url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/media_centre/index.php?page=60 | accessdate = 2007-02-01] . In 2007, 78% of all runners raised money.

History

The London Marathon was founded by former Olympic champion and renowned journalist Chris Brasher, who was influenced by the New York Marathon. He aspired to establish a race of this scale. In the 1908 Summer Olympics, which were held in London, the length of the course had been 26 miles and 385 yards to the White City Stadium, thus setting the standard length of modern marathons ever since.

The first London Marathon was held on 29 March 1981, when nearly 7,500 athletes participated in the race. The Marathon's popularity has steadily grown since then. In 2007 36,396 people started the marathon, the biggest field since the race began. As many as 125,000 people originally applied to run, and 49,963 applications were accepted. [cite web | title=Flora London Marathon website: "Press Releases" | url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/media_centre/index.php?page=95 The number of competitors is on a par with New York, Berlin and Chicago.] Only the 50,000+ participants in Newcastle's Great North Run annually exceeds this number of entrants.

The race is currently organised by former 10,000m world record holder David Bedford. Bedford has overseen a period of great change for the race, including amendments to the course in 2005 which saw the famous cobbled section by the Tower of London replaced with a flat stretch along the Highway. [cite web | title=Flora London Marathon website: "Marathon History: Course History" | url=http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/marathon_history/index.php?page=2 | accessdate = 2007-02-01]

Whilst it is a serious athletic event, with large prize money attracting elite athletes, public perception of the race is dominated by club and fun runners. Only the summer British 10K race closes the centre of London similarly to the marathon. Sometimes in ludicrous fancy dress and often collecting money for charity, these make up the bulk of the 30,000+ runners and help to draw crowds of half a million on the streets. Nine people have died in relation to running the London Marathon since the event began, with the most recent being a 22-year-old man [cite web | title=BBC News Website Article: "Runner dies after London Marathon" | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6583677.stm | accessdate = 2007-04-24] who died of hyponatremia [ [http://www.mk-news.co.uk/mknews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=79406 MK News ] ] .

On 19 April 2003, former boxer Michael Watson, who had been told he would never be able to walk again after a fight with Chris Eubank, made headlines by finishing the marathon in six days, becoming a national hero in England.

In 2006 Sir Steve Redgrave (winner of five consecutive Olympic Gold Medals) set a new Guinness World Record for money raised through a marathon by collecting £1.8 million in sponsorship. This broke the record set the previous year by the founder of the Oasis Trust, Steve Chalke MBE, who had collected over £1.25 million. Steve Chalke recovered the record in 2007, raising at least £1.85 million. [ [http://www.oasisuk.org/7532 Oasis Trust ] ]

A small number of runners, known as the "Ever Presents", have completed each of the London Marathons since 1981. By 2008 their number had shrunk to 22. As of 2008, the oldest runners amongst them are 74 year old Kenneth Jones and Jeffrey Gordon, whilst the youngest runner is 49-year-old Chris Finill. They are all male. [ [http://www.everpresent.org.uk/ Ever Present Home Page ] ]

Course description and information

All Runners must be over 18 to enter and must be fit and well on race day. The course starts in three separate points around Blackheath at 115ft above sea level, on the south of the Thames. All the runners eventually converging in Woolwich where the Royal Artillery Barracks is passed, the route descending from 140ft to 35ft over a distance of half a mile.

At approximately 6 ½ miles runners go around the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. Then the course goes through Surrey Quays, Bermondsey and along Jamaica Road before reaching Tower Bridge at around 12 miles. The runners then cross the Thames, turning east along The Highway through Wapping to the Isle of Dogs, before returning back along The Highway passing the Tower of London at 22 ½ miles.

The route now follows the Thames along the Embankment up to the Houses of Parliament where it turns toward St James's Park and Buckingham Palace, finishing in The Mall. This section of the route will form part of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Course.

It is the only Marathon course in the world that is run in two hemispheres, both the East and West, as the full course crosses the Prime Meridian in Greenwich.

Mini Marathon

The Adidas Mini Marathon is the sister of The London Marathon. The course is the last 3 miles of the London Marathon and is aimed at ages 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 from all 33 London Boroughs along with 13 teams from ten English counties and three Home Countries: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is also a Mini Wheelchair race on the day.

Medical cover

Medical cover is provided mainly by the volunteers of St. John Ambulance. Its members travel from all over the country to care for runners who require medical attention.

Television coverage

The BBC covers the event, devoting rolling coverage for most of the morning. The [http://www.theclassicalshop.net/mp3samples/CH/CHAN241-1201T01D01.wma theme music] associated with this coverage, and with the event itself, is called "Main Titles to The Trap", composed by Ron Goodwin for the film "The Trap".

2010 Sponsorship

On 16 May 2008 London Marathon Limited signed a new five year sponsorship deal with Virgin and Virgin Money. Virgin spend £17m on the five year deal and is aimed to raise even more money for good causes.

Winners

Female

* 2004 Margaret Okayo flagicon|KEN 2:22:35
* 2005 Paula Radcliffe flagicon|GBR 2:17:42
* 2006 Deena Kastor flagicon|USA 2:19:36
* 2007 Gete Wami flagicon|ETH 2:21:45
* 2008 Irina Mikitenko flagicon|GER 2:24:14

Male

* 2005 Martin Lel flagicon|KEN 2:07:26
* 2006 Felix Limo flagicon|KEN 2:06:39
* 2007 Martin Lel flagicon|KEN 2:07:41
* 2008 Martin Lel flagicon|KEN 2.05:15

ponsors and Partners

*Flora (Official Sponsor)
*Virgin (Official Sponsor in 2010)
*Adidas
*Lucozade Sport
*Vittel
*Holiday Inn
*London Pride
*Renault
*Runner's World
*Timex
*TNT
*Heart UK
*Spinal Injuries Association
*BBC Sport
*BBC London
*BBC Radio 5 Live

ee also

* List of winners of the London Marathon
* Running
* Half marathon
* Exercise
* London Triathlon

References

External links

* [http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/ Official website]
* [http://www.virginlondonmarathon.com/ Virgin London Marathon website]
* [http://www.minimarathon.co.uk/ Adidas Mini London Marathon]
* [http://www.42k195.com/marathon/flora_london_marathon www.42k195.com]
* [http://www.londonmarathonroute.co.uk London Marathon Route Guide]