The London Marathon

The London marathon was established on Sunday 29 March 1981, organized by two men Chris Basher and John Disney who had gained inspiration for the event by witnessing Americas great city marathons which they hoped to replicate.

They were inspired mainly by the New York and Boston marathons about which Brasher wrote a very emotional article in the Observer newspaper which described the joy and happiness he saw runners experience during the New York marathon.

The first marathon had over 20,000 applicants of which 6,747 were accepted and 6,255 completed the course.

Since then its popularity has grown in stature and more and more runners apply to take part each year. The biggest turnout to date was in 2008 when more than 34,497 runners finished the race.

The London marathon has become one of the top 5 marathons in the world and attracts the finest athletes from many different countries. It has become more than just a road race, it is now seen by many as a festival of sport and a pinnacle of achievement that many British amateur runners strive for and aspire to run one day.

A unique feature of the London marathon is its role as a major fund raising vehicle for many 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 since the first race to £315 million.

Since its creation back in 1981 over three quarters of a million runners have completed the course and overcome the challenge to achieve what is to many a lifetime ambition.

If you’ve often considered running the London marathon then you need to follow a marathon training schedule designed specifically for beginners. ‘Marathon Training For Beginners’ is an entertaining and easy to use marathon training guide for complete beginners that want to learn how to successfully run a marathon in the shortest possible time, without experiencing potentially serious long term injury problems and overtraining pitfalls that most beginners face. Click here for more details.

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