First established on Sunday March 29th 1981, the London Marathon was the brain child of two men, the former Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher and John Disney. They had drawn on the inspirational scenes they witnessed during America’s great city marathons, in particular the New York marathon and decided to emulate them in the UK.
Following a number of trips to America in order to study the organization and financing of their marathons, Brasher signed a sponsorship deal with Gillette for £50,000.00 and established its status as a charity.
The very first London Marathon had over 20,000 applicants of which 6,747 were accepted and 6,255 completed the course.
Since then its popularity has grown year on year and the applications for entry continue to increase dramatically with a growing field of runners taking part. The biggest turnout to date was in 2008 when more than 34,497 runners finished the race.
The London marathon has now taken its place as one of the top 5 marathons in the world. Many of the finest athletes take up the challenge year after year. It is no longer simply a road race but seen by many as huge sporting event and the ultimate goal for many aspiring British runners.
The course is set mainly over a flat course based around the river Thames. It begins from three separate points around Blackheath and continues past landmarks such as the Royal Artillery Barracks, past the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, over Tower Bridge, passing St Paul’s cathedral before finishing in the Mall alongside St James’s Palace.
Another unique feature of the London marathon is its ability to raise funds for charities and organizations. It is one of the largest fund raising events in the world, with participants in 2006 raising over £41.5 million for charity, bringing the total amount raised since the first race to £315 million.
Over three quarters of a million runners have completed the course and conquered the challenging 26.2 miles since the first marathon back in 1981.
If you’ve thought about running the London marathon but you’re not a regular runner, then you need to make sure that you are fully prepared. It is important to follow a marathon training schedule designed specifically for beginners. You need to begin your training in plenty of time so you are capable of running the course in its entirety. A marathon isn’t something you can attempt without any training at all.
