The 32nd London Marathon

Former Olympic medallists, John Disley and the late Chris Brasher, were the co-founders of the London Marathon.  Having been exhilarated by the experience of the New York Marathon, they started on a long journey of discussions to discover whether it could be possible to stage a similar race in London.

Finally, 7,747 people ran the first London Marathon on 29 March 1981.  With a three year sponsorship  deal from Gillette worth £75,000, the race was a great success with thousands of people lining the streets and full TV coverage on the BBC. 

Alessia Pierdomenico/Reuters

The popularity of the event has continued to increase over the years with a record number of 36,550 people finishing in 2010. It attracts a huge variety of runners from around the world, many choosing to wear fancy dress, some in bizarre and restricting costumes and more than three quarters competing for charitable causes.  But it still remains a serious athletic event, one of the five in the World Marathon Majors.

As one of the biggest running events in the world, the London Marathon holds the Guiness World Record as the largest annual fund raising event in the world;  since 1981 it has raised over £450m for charity.

The race starts in Greenwich Park, follows a route east to Woolwich, then turns west towards Greenwich, past the Cutty Sark and across the River Thames at Tower Bridge.  Canary Wharf is the next point then round the Isle of Dogs, before heading west again towards the Embankment, through Birdcage Walk and past Buckingham Palace before reaching the finishing line in The Mall


The ladies and men's elite winners ran the 26.2 miles in just over two hours and Price Harry was out on the finishing line to present their medals.  The race has a staggered start with the elite athletes and wheelchair competitors leaving before the main group of over 37,000 runners.

Photo:  Getty Images

Well done to all those people who took on the 26.2 mile challenge in the world's largest fund raising event.

Photo: Getty Images