Since 1981 the London Marathon has been run each and every year, growing in popularity and achieving the title for being the largest annual fund raising event in the world. It’s this title that makes the London Marathon more unique than other city’s marathons around the world, so whether you want to run the 26 miles or you want to cheer on those who are, the London Marathon is a fun, family event!
When and Where is the London Marathon?
Well, yes, it’s held in London! The London Marathon is a great advertisement for this popular city as the cameras follow the runners winding their way through the city streets, passing world famous iconic buildings such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, and the London Eye.
In 2010 the London Marathon will take place on the 25th of April.
From a spectators point of view because the London Marathon covers a distance of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195km) there’s loads of opportunity to watch the runners. The course is usually the same every year so you can pick out the places where you would like to stand prior to going up to London. With the great London Underground, as well as light rail services across London it’s easy to access the marathon route. Don’t rely on buses though as many of the local roads will be closed on race day.
Every year the London Marathon takes place, usually in April. In 2010 it will be held on Sunday 25 April with the first runners setting off at 9am.
If you’re running in the London Marathon, or you’re planning to come and watch, there are of course many places to stay in the city if you want to make a weekend of it. You could choose a hotel that’s on the route, or one that’s a little further away, but remember that the closest ones will get booked up first. London has so many sights and attractions to enjoy that you could spend weeks here and only touch on the surface!
What is the London Marathon?
The simple answer is that the London Marathon is a road race in which competitors enter and try to complete it in the fastest time possible, but the London Marathon is more complex than this!
Yes, runners try to complete the marathon, running the total 26 miles and 385 yards, but for the vast majority who enter they are running for charity and are not necessarily trying to beat any clocks. This is why the London Marathon is different to other marathons on the World Marathon Majors. The World Marathon Majors is the name given to a group of 5 cities that hold major marathons, these being New York, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, and of course London.
The London Marathon is a fun, family event in which many runners will don costumes, all in the name of charity, so as well as cheering on the runners, spectators get to see funny costumes worn by everyday people, plus world famous runners who are competing for the prize of first place. Along the route there’s often various forms of entertainment to enjoy as well, so it’s not all about standing around on the same spot all day! It’s also a great opportunity to look out for celebrities as well, as celebrities from television, film, other sports, and more, come out in their droves for this event.
A History of the London Marathon
The London Marathon was first run in 1981 so although it’s not the oldest marathon in the world it is one of the most popular!
The Boston Marathon (in the United States) has the title for the oldest annual marathon in the world as it was established way back in 1897 and remains a renowned marathon to this day, but it was the New York Marathon that inspired the creators of the London Marathon.
The New York Marathon was established in 1970, and in 1979 was run by a former Olympic champion, Chris Brasher. He was amazed that a city such as New York (which was a dangerous place at that time) could host an event of this kind that attracted so many people from around the world to run and to watch, and believed that London would really benefit from a marathon too. Less than two years later the first London Marathon was run on 29 March 1981 and the legend was born!
Over 20,000 people applied to run in the first marathon but only 6,747 were accepted. Through the following years the number of runners was increased, peaking at a little below 34,500, and of course the number of people interested in running has also increased. Every year thousands of would-be runners have to be turned away because numbers have to be kept in check due to safety.
Entering or Watching the London Marathon
Running the London Marathon
If you’ve been inspired to enter the 2010 London Marathon, unfortunately you’re too late to enter now, so maybe you could consider applying for 2011?! As mentioned above, thousands more people apply to run in the London Marathon than there are spaces for, so there are always going to be some disappointed people. You have to apply very early and the runners are selected in October each year, so that you have plenty of time to train hard for this event, which will be gruelling if you’re not used to long distance running. Take a look at the 2010 London Marathon official website for more details on applying to run.
Watching the London Marathon
Watching the London Marathon is far easier than running in it! Whether you personally know someone who’s running or you just want to come along and cheer everybody on, this well organised event is easy to attend.
There are no tickets to buy so you can just pick a place that you want to stand and arrive on the day. Many spectators who are watching out for friends or family will actually choose several different vantage points and move around throughout the morning. The
official 2010 London Marathon website has some really great resources for people coming to watch the marathon, so make sure you make use of this website. There are interactive maps to help you decide where to stand, timings that show roughly when runners will be arriving at which points, and lots of information on public transport and getting to the marathon.
Getting to the London Marathon
If you are running in the London Marathon you’ll want to arrive in London the day before and make sure you get a really good night’s sleep in a local hotel. This isn’t as important for spectators, but bear in mind that if you’re travelling to London on the day of the marathon that public transport will likely be busier than usual, so allow plenty of time for your journey.
Your best bet is to check out all the resources on the
London Marathon website as this gives ample information for spectators and is a really good resource.