Short review
Founded by the former Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher in 1981, the London Marathon was a big deal since the beginning. 20,000 runners applied for the first race and 7,747 were accepted. The 1982 race received more than 90,000 applicants from around the world. The entry was limited to 18,059.
Since then, the Virgin Money London Marathon has grown to more than 39,000 runners, and elite runners compete for $313,000 in prize money. It is translated by BBC for 5 million viewers in the UK only. In 2016, the London Marathon’s one-millionth finisher crossed the Finish Line on The Mall.
London Marathon is a big charity event. Overall runners have raised more than £830 million for charities. In 2016 they set a new world record for fundraising in a single day with £59.4 million.
- Major event
- Well-organized
- Big prizes for course records
- Takes place in a capital city
- Very crowded
- Complex course
- Hard to get in
Registration closed
Road Running
Distance:
Marathon
Elevation:
75 m
Major
Charity
Wheelchair
Organized since 1981
Short review
Founded by the former Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher in 1981, the London Marathon was a big deal since the beginning. 20,000 runners applied for the first race and 7,747 were accepted. The 1982 race received more than 90,000 applicants from around the world. The entry was limited to 18,059.
Since then, the Virgin Money London Marathon has grown to more than 39,000 runners, and elite runners compete for $313,000 in prize money. It is translated by BBC for 5 million viewers in the UK only. In 2016, the London Marathon’s one-millionth finisher crossed the Finish Line on The Mall.
London Marathon is a big charity event. Overall runners have raised more than £830 million for charities. In 2016 they set a new world record for fundraising in a single day with £59.4 million.
- Major event
- Well-organized
- Big prizes for course records
- Takes place in a capital city
- Very crowded
- Complex course
- Hard to get in
1 Road Running races on 22 April 2018 in London
London Marathon
42.195 km
75 mfrom $
39000 runners
usually take part in the race42.195 km run course map
Weather for Apr 22, 2018
74.45 °F
Wind: 3.49 m/s.
Partly cloudy starting in the afternoon, continuing until evening..
Very Good for running
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What to wear on your run?
Contacts of the organizers & official website
phone: 020 7902 0200
[email protected]
We recommend checking the official website for up-to-date information.
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Dream come true
Running London Marathon was a dream come true as I am on a journey to complete all the World Major Marathons. This was #3 of 6 for me. I chose to run for a charity to guarantee my entry to the race. It is notoriously difficult to gain a spot unless you run for a charity. I am so grateful for the chance to represent Leukaemia CARE in this year's race.Expo: Amazing experience unto itself! You could spend the entire day there and a small fortune on all the amazing deals on offer. Definitely worth allotting a few hours to attend. Be sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated though!
Star... Show full review
Course: AMAZING!! There is a very steep downhill section within the first 3-4 miles, but otherwise, it is quite flat. You will run through the most gorgeous landmarks of London so be prepared to smile along the way. The crowds are unbelievable! There really was not one section that was not supported during this race.
Finish line: I have never had such an easy process collecting my bag after a major marathon. I was able to easily walk through the finish line, collect my finisher's shirt and goody bag and find my bag with no problem whatsoever. The crowd in St. James Park was pretty massive but I found my husband pretty quickly and was able to walk to my hotel without a bother.
Definitely a bucket list race for marathon enthusiasts!!
London exceeded my expectations
Having run 5 of the six majors, I can say that London exceeded my expectations.The Good:
Organization is top notch
Course is scenic and fairly level
Hydration stations well placed
Expo excellent (big pick up, speakers, etc)
Transportation to start is excellent and well directed by volunteers and tube staff
Post race is the best run I have seen from medal to bag pick up. Smooth and easy.
Can't say enough about the UK fans. As an American, we get good race crowds but these folks were amazing and supportive.
The finish scenery coming around Parliament/Big Ben to Buckingham Pal... Show full review
Areas of improvement:
Full bottles continue to be an issue, not just with waste but "rookies" still just drop bottles in road vs toss.
Walk from tube station to start areas uphill and long. Consider shuttles?
Can't change it but don't expect a PR due to crowding. I was corral 2 so started up front and I still had bottlenecks after 5k. Slowed and had to make up time. Nothing to do about it but to expect it.
Overall, an amazing event I would do again. If you are traveling from the US (or anywhere with a time change over 5 hours) be sure to arrive by Wednesday at the latest.
Well done, London and Abbott WMM. This race shines.