London-Marathon
The London Marathon is a marathon run in London, the one of the world in terms of prize money, the winning times and the number of participants to the most important.
History
The founder of the event, the former steeplechase gold medalist and sports journalist Chris Brasher, was inspired by the New York City Marathon. The first race was held on 29 March 1981 with 7747 participants, of which 6255 reached the target. Since then, the event is usually conducted in April each year and has developed into a great sporting festival, where more than 30,000 runners start and hundreds of thousands of spectators line the route.
Since its Erstdurchführung the marathon has hardly changed. The route with separate starts for professional runners, wheelchair athletes and amateur runners from Greenwich Park past the Cutty Sark, over Tower Bridge, through the Docklands and the East End, then back north past the Tower of London, along the Thames from Parliament Square and the Houses of Parliament ( Palace of Westminster) and on to Buckingham Palace. The finish line was formerly on Westminster Bridge and is now in The Mall.
Since 2006, the London Marathon is one of the World Marathon Majors, underlining its importance as one of the world's biggest marathon events.
The London Marathon is also a major charity event, at the start of many prominent athletes and sponsors runners for charitable organizations. Even amateur runners use this opportunity to gain a secure spot at the regularly booked run. In this way, millions of pounds have already been collected to help, for example, Parkinson's sufferers. As it comes to a good cause and not have a sport bests here, many of these runners are dressed bizarre.
On April 19, 2003 saw ex- professional boxer Michael Watson made headlines when he finished the marathon after six days of arduous by biting. He had fallen after a fight with Chris Eubank in 1991 into a coma and woke up only forty days later. In 1999, the medical prognosis was that he would never go back to. At his side walked his neurosurgeon and his former opponent Eubank.
Statistics
Track records
- Men: 2:04:40 h, Emmanuel Mutai Kipchirchir (KEN ), 2011
- Women: 2:15:25 h, Paula Radcliffe (GBR ), 2003
The London Marathon is the world in the addition of the track records the fastest - see ranking of the fastest marathon events.
List of winners
Sources: website of the organizer, ARRS
Winners Men, Wheelchair Race
Highlighting: course record
Ladies winner, Wheelchair Race
Highlighting: course record