London Marathon, instructions for race day 1 REGISTRATION FORM AND RUNNING NUMBER Please read these instructions very carefully; and you will find all the information you need to have a trouble-free Race Day. We will do our utmost to look after you all the way through each of the 26.2 miles. All you need to do is follow the few simple guidelines here. You will have received your registration form which shows your running number. DO NOT LOSE THIS FORM. You will need it to collect your running number and kitbag when you register at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. The acceptance slip sent to you in December is not valid. If you do lose or mislay your registration form please go to the help desk at registration and remember to bring a form of identification with you. On the reverse of the registration form you will find a Charity Survey questionnaire, please complete this section before you arrive at Registration. There are also instructions for you to register for your Race Day photos. While preferring you to register in person, we recognise that in some cases this may be impossible. You can nominate someone to collect your number for you.

The person you nominate must have the following: a letter written and signed by you, authorising that person - by name - to collect your number. You must also sign your registration form before handing it to them. Your signature will be checked against your original entry form. The person collecting your running number should have suitable identification with them. Failure to comply with the above instructions may lead to your running number not being issued. Please note, an individual can only pick up one running number in addition to their own. Finally, take care of your running number and fill in the medical information on the reverse side. Do not tamper with your number in any way, note that duplicate numbers cannot be issued under any circumstances. You must register and collect your number before Race Day. Registration is at the Flora London Marathon Exhibition held at ExCeL, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL and is open at the following times: Wednesday 22nd April 11am-8pm. Friday 24th April, 10am-8pm. Saturday 25th April 9am-5pm. You will be asked to sign the declaration on your Registration Form in front of the Registration Clerk.

You may be asked for personal identification. With your number and kitbag you will also be given a set of final instructions. Please read them carefully. 4 GETTING TO ExCeL ExCeL is connected to the Jubilee line at Canning Town via a 3-minute DLR journey (Docklands Light Railway) to ExCeLï¿½s dedicated station Custom House for the west entrance. (Prince Regent station for the east entrance). ExCeL is also connected directly to the Central, Northern, Circle, District and Waterloo & City lines at Bank and the Circle and District lines at Tower Hill via the DLR. ExCeL is in London Underground Zone 3. We strongly advise that you purchase a return or travelcard as ticket purchasing facilities are limited at ExCeL. All valid London Underground tickets are accepted on Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Custom House DLR station is adjacent to the ExCeL centre entrance.

PLEASE NOTE: DURING A CLOSURE OF THE JUBILEE LINE ON SAUTRDAY 25th APRIL (THE LAST DAY OF THE EXHIBITION AND YOUR LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER) YOU ARE ADVISED TO USE DLR FROM BANK OR TOWER GATEWAY STATION FOR SERVICES TO CUSTOM HOUSE FOR EXCEL. Please try to register on Wednesday or Thursday if you live in or around London. This will allow Friday and Saturday for runners from further afield. After registering, take some time to look round the Flora London Marathon Exhibition - the biggest of its kind in the UK. 5 WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR BELONGINGS ON RACE DAY At Registration you will be given an envelope containing your running number and an adhesive numbered sticker. This sticker must be fixed to the front of the kitbag which you will also be given when you collect your running number. You will use this kitbag for your belongings on Race Day. 6 IF YOU ARE ILL OR INJURED You must be fit and well to run a marathon. Severe exertion during or soon after any kind of fever is extremely dangerous.

If you find yourself in this situation you must withdraw - even if this is the first time you have been accepted for the Flora London Marathon after years of trying. If you withdraw and use the following procedures we will guarantee you an entry for the 2010 race - subject to you paying the 2010 entry fee. IF YOU WISH TO WITHDRAW THIS IS WHAT YOU MUST DO 1) Return your registration form to this address: Withdrawals, Flora London Marathon, PO Box 3460, London SE1 0YA, latest postmark - 21st April 2008. 2) If you become ill or injured after you have collected your running number, return it to the Help Desk in Registration at ExCeL before 4pm on Saturday 12th April or post it to the address above, latest postmark 25th April 2009.

Ill or injured people who withdraw from the 2009 race will be accepted for the 2010 race unless they have already carried their entry over from the 2008 race or if the entry was received from a charity or sponsor - providing they pay the appropriate entry fee and follow the correct procedure for withdrawal. Runners will receive an ï¿½Ill or Injuredï¿½ entry form for the 2010 Flora London Marathon by the 30th May 2009. If you have not heard from us by the 30th May 2009 please telephone our helpline on 0207 902 0200 no later than this date, failure to do so will result in loss of entry. The closing date for receipt of the entry form in the Flora London Marathon offices is the 12th June 2009. WE RECOMMEND YOU RETURN THE ENTRY BY RECORDED DELIVERY - LATE ENTRY FORMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

7 YOUR TIME AND YOU The Flora London Marathon accurately times every single runner by means of a transponder and 'ChampionChip' worn on the runners' shoes. When you cross the start line you will run over a mat on the road which will register your time as you pass over it. There is another mat under the Finish gantry. Official results and times will be based on the elapsed time taken by each runner between the Start line and Finish Line. There are also timing mats at each 5K point as well as half way. Your chip will be issued to you at Registration. This must be fixed to your running shoes in accordance with the instructions. In the envelope with your running number are Tyvek strips to attach the Chip to your running shoe. It is very important that every competitor reads the instructions showing them how to attach the chip to their shoe (see magazine). You must wear a chip to get an official finishing time. If you do not wear your Chip the system will not record you finishing and therefore will be unable to provide you with a finishing time.

When you cross the finish line, we have teams of specially equipped helpers to remove the chip from your shoe ï¿½ you do not need to do anything apart from follow the marshalï¿½s instructions. Please do not fix the chip through your shoe laces; if you do we will have to cut your laces to get the Chip back. 7 BEFORE LEAVING HOME Make sure you have the following: running number and safety pins, ChampionChip, tyvek strips and instructions on how to fix it to your shoes (Better still; put it on your shoe before you leave.) Kit Bag and baggage label with your running number printed on. 8 BEFORE THE EVENT Pin your running number to the front of your t-shirt or running vest. Your running number has a small round sticker in the bottom left corner with a number between 1 and 9. This indicates your zone at the Start (see section ï¿½Start Zonesï¿½ on the following page). You must not use someone elseï¿½s number, nor let someone else use yours. Imagine the anxiety caused to either set of relatives and friends in the event of mis-identification should there be a medical emergency. Donï¿½t do it!

Do not forget your running number. There are no spare running numbers at the Start. If you forget your number and still insist on taking part, our marshals will remove you from the race before you cross the Finish Line. They are instructed to do this in order to prevent non bona fide runners who have not entered the event joining in and attempting to cross the line to receive a Finisherï¿½s medal. Your ChampionChip timing device must be fixed to your running shoes in accordance with the instructions. If you need additional instructions, or Tyvek strips to fix the ChampionChip, these can be collected from a booth located in the assembly area at each Start. If you do not wear your Chip then the system will not record you finishing and therefore we will be unable to provide you with a finishing time. 9 TRANSPORT TO THE START If you are on the Blue Start you need a train to Blackheath Station. If you are on the Red Start you should travel to either Greenwich Station or Maze Hill Station. If you are on the Green Start you should travel to Maze Hill Station. There are marshals at the exits from all stations and on the routes to the Start Assembly Areas.

Allow 15 ï¿½ 20 minutes for the walk from the Station to the Assembly Area for all three starts. Trains depart Central London from Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge Stations. Marshals at all three stations will direct you onto the appropriate trains for each Start. The journey takes between 12 and 20 minutes, with trains leaving every few minutes from 6.54am onwards. Travel on these trains is free to competitors, but friends and relatives must pay the normal fare. London Underground and Docklands Light Railway are also offering free travel to runners on Marathon Day for those who need to connect with mainline stations. You will need to show your running number to station staff. Friends, family and other spectators will need to purchase tickets as normal. Take the earliest train you can, all trains are busy, but the later ones are especially so. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) enables runners to travel to Greenwich from various stations north and south of the river. Trains will leave Bank from 07:00am and Tower Gateway Stations from 05:30am. It is also possible to travel from Stratford to Canary Wharf and connect with these two services.

Transport to the Start ï¿½ Cars and coaches We do not advise competitors to travel by car, but if there is no other alternative you should remember the following: Roads in the area will close at 07:00 am, with local diversions in operation in the Greenwich, Charlton and Deptford areas. There is limited parking available on Blackheath. If you intend to leave your car at the Start, you will need to retrieve it after the event once you have reached the Finish in The Mall. There is NO parking in the vicinity of the Finish. Coach parties ï¿½ Please refer to the map on magazine pages 46 and 47. 11 WHERE AND WHEN TO START Numbers 151 to 1000 are Championship Women competitors. Your number will be blue on a white background and you will start at the Blue Start on Blackheath. Your final instructions (Which you will have collected at Registration) will include details of the special arrangements for you at the Start.

Numbers 1,001 to 28,000 and 54,251 to 59,000 also have a blue number on a white background and will start at the Blue Start. Use Blackheath Station if travelling by train. Numbers from 28,001 to 33,250 you will have a green number on a white background and will start from the Green Start on Blackheath. Use Maze Hill Station. Numbers 33,251 to 54,250 will have a red number on a white background and will start from the Red Start which assembles inside Greenwich Park. Use Greenwich or Maze Hill stations. 13 KIT BAGS AND BAGGAGE LORRIES The PA Systems at each start will tell you when to put your kit bag on to the appropriate baggage vehicle in the start area. All lorries are labelled with a range of numbers corresponding to runnerï¿½s numbers.

So for example, if your running number is 27,582, you should hand your bag in at the lorry with the number range 27,000 ï¿½ 27,999. Staff on the lorries will only accept the official Marathon Kit Bag which was handed to you at Registration. Kit bags are sorted into number order to allow for easy retrieval at the Finish. Ensure you have stuck your self adhesive running number label to the Kit Bag where indicated, and that you have drawn and tied the drawstring cord to prevent any items from falling out. Once you have deposited your bag, move towards the start zones. Once you have deposited your bag on the lorry, you will not be able to retrieve your belongings until you arrive at the Finish. Therefore, please ensure that you have all you require for your run BEFORE depositing your bag on the lorry. Many runners wear either old clothes or a bin liner to keep warm before the Start. If you discard these items when you start running, please do so carefully so as not to hinder the runners behind you. Bin liners are slippery when wet!

14 START ZONES Running numbers are issued on a random basis, to assist with baggage retrieval at the Finish. Please line up in the numbered zone (1 ï¿½ 9) which has been allocated to you on the basis of your predicted finish time. Marshals will ask to look at the zone number sticker on your running number and will only allow runners to enter the corresponding zone at the start. Do not attempt to promote yourself to a faster zone ï¿½ start in the correct zone, start steadily and you will be much more likely to enjoy your run. If you are running in an elaborate fancy dress costume, you must position yourself at the rear of Zone 9 at the red or blue start so as not to impede other runners who want to run as fast as they can. No wheeled vehicles of any kind or animals are allowed on the course. Anyone who disregards this rule will be disqualified, removed from the course and banned from participating in any future Flora London Marathon. 15 THE COURSE The Blue Start and the Red Start follow different routes for the first three miles, and then converge on a section of dual carriageway.

The two routes run alongside each other for the next 800 metres, please do not cross over the central reservation to the other route, both are accurately measured and if you switch from one side to the other you may find you have run a greater distance. The Green Start merges with the Blue route after 1200 metres. Some short sections of the route have traffic running on the opposite side of the road ï¿½ these are wide main roads, do not cross over these coned sections. At various points on the course, slower runners will be directed to switch from one side of the road to another. This allows batches of spectators and vehicles to escape from the island caused by the route. Please follow the instructions of marshals; the switches do not involve any extra distance for runners. The wheelchair athletes start before the mass race, so some runners will be overtaking the slower wheelchairs during the race. Please give them plenty of room and do not cut across their path. There may also be other runners with disabilities in the race, keep a look out for them, give them space (and your encouragement) as you pass.

16 THE BLUE LINE A broken Blue Line painted on the road indicates the shortest route and represents the exact and correct measured distance. Elite runners and faster runners follow this line closely; slower runners will find it less important to do so. Our agreement with the Highways Department in each of the Boroughs through which the race passes is that this line must be removed from the highway before the roads can reopen. The line will be removed by crews who follow the last runners. If the line is being removed around you, this is a clear indication that you no longer have priority on the highway and you must move onto the pavement. (See section ï¿½Slow Runnersï¿½ over the page.) 17 TOILETS In addition to the toilets at the Start, there are facilities along the route as follows: ï¿½ Blue route: 600m, 1.25 miles, 2 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles and so on, at approximate 2 mile intervals, up to and including 24 miles.

ï¿½ Red route: 1 & 2 miles ï¿½ then as Blue route ï¿½ Green route: As Blue route, with the exception of 600m, first toilets are at 1.25 miles. 19 DRINKS STATIONS Drinks Stations are situated as follows: VITTEL WATER is offered at every mile from 3 miles through to 25 miles. Water is in 330ml plastic bottles with the top removed. LUCOZADE SPORT is available at miles 5, 10, 15, 19 and 23. It is offered in 330ml bottles with the top removed. Please discard your bottles and pouches to the side of the road ï¿½ do not drop them on the road in front of you where they can be hazardous to runners behind you. A Drinks Station requires an adequate stretch of straight road to be set out effectively, so not all stations are immediately adjacent to mile markers. Each station will be clearly signed. Wherever possible, drinks will be offered from both sides of the road.

Do not rush for the first table; tables are spaced over approximately 80 metres on each side and supplies distributed evenly. Before you veer off to the side, remember there are runners behind you! 20 SHOWERS Six shower units are placed on the course and are a welcome relief in warm weather. If it is a warm day, please use the shower units to cool down; do not use bottled water from the Drink stations to tip over your head, as this reduces supplies for slower runners at the back of the field. Locations of the shower units are Surrey Quays (just before 9 miles), The Highway (13 miles), East Ferry Road (17 miles), West India Dock Road (19 miles), The Highway again (22 miles) and Upper Thames Street (23.5 miles). Units are positioned slightly off of the course so you will need to deviate from the Blue Line to pass through. Signs in advance of each unit showing ï¿½Shower 200m Aheadï¿½ will indicate that you are approaching. Obviously the road surface will be wet both under and around the shower unit, so take extra care at these points.

21 SPECTATORS There is a course guide for spectators on page 111. If you have friends and family coming to support you along the course make sure they have read these pages carefully. There are now very few places on the course where there are not many hundreds of spectators to cheer you on, your friends and relatives are more likely to catch a glimpse of you if they avoid the busy spectator areas of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and the City Pride Pub on the Isle of Dogs. Cutty Sark, always one of the most crowded areas, is currently undergoing refurbishment and building work. We strongly advise spectators to avoid this area. 22 WALKING At some point, perhaps through tiredness, cramp, blisters etc, you may be forced to walk. If this happens to you, please move over to the side of road furthest from the Blue Line to allow runners to overtake. It is both frustrating and tiring for those who are still able to run to have to dodge around people who are walking. Please show consideration to your fellow competitors and walk at the side of the road. Please endeavour to walk in single file, not in groups, to give more room for faster runners to pass.

23 SLOW RUNNERS Our event only has priority over the roads on the route for the time that it takes a seven hour runner to reach the finish. Therefore, if you are slower than this then you will need to become a ï¿½prudent pedestrianï¿½ and move onto the pavement. Before the roads reopen they have to be cleaned and made safe from bottles and other debris, and the Blue Line removed. If this activity is happening around you then you must move onto the pavement. Our marshals and Drinks Stations will still be in place to assist you, but the Police will encourage you onto the pavement. Please follow their instructions. 24 DROPPING OUT There are two sweep up coaches which follow the tail enders around the course. If you have to drop out, you should make your way to the nearest St John Ambulance First Aid point, give them your running number and then wait for the sweep up coach to stop and pick you up. There are St John Ambulance personnel on each coach and your details will be transmitted to the St John Ambulance Information Point at the Finish.

You will be dropped off at the Finish and if you do not require further treatment you will be able to retrieve your belongings and make your way home. The other alternative is to make your own way back to the Finish to collect your belongings. London Underground, the Docklands Light Railway and London Buses will honour your running number as a free pass to enable you to get back to the Finish. Our marshals at all the Underground and DLR Stations on the route will be able to direct you and give you printed instructions on how to get back to the Finish. They will also remove your ChampionChip from your running shoe and put a cross through your running number, so that we know that you have been accounted for. You should head for Embankment Station where our marshals will direct you back to the Finish Area in The Mall to collect your belongings. London Underground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) are offering free travel to all runners until 5:00pm on Marathon Day. Friends and Family will need to purchase tickets as normal.

25 THE FINISH ROYAL PARKS The Royal Parks Agency has allowed us to use Horseguards Parade, Horseguards Road and St Jamesï¿½s Park itself as a Runnerï¿½s Meet and Greet Area and the map on pages xx shows the layout of facilities. We are grateful for the Royal Parks Agency for their assistance and would ask that you show your appreciation by treating the area with the respect it deserves and not littering the Park and surrounding areas. THE FINISH LINE The Finish is in The Mall. As you cross the Finish Line, try to keep moving. If you become distressed our medical staff and St John Ambulance officers will be on hand to care for you. Please make sure not to obscure your running number with your arms, otherwise we will not be able to identify you for the Finish Line photographs. Only participants who finish inside 8 hours (by 6pm real time) will receive a finish time and a medal from our Finish Line team on the day. SECURE FINISH The Finish area is an 800m long secure area with no public access. Once across the line you will be ï¿½processedï¿½ through the system. First your ChampionChip will be removed from your shoes.

Then you will receive a medal. Then you will be offered a goody bag which contains Vittel water, Lucozade Sport, a foil blanket, food items and your finisher t-shirt. You should aim to retrieve your own belongings from the Baggage lorries as quickly as possible. Follow the signs, lookout for the colour of your start and collect your baggage from the lorry with your running number range displayed on it. Then move away from the baggage vehicles area and put on some warm clothing. If the weather is poor there are two covered changing areas available, both of these are outside the secure Finish area. please refer to the Finish Area map on page xx for further details. RUNNER MEET AND GREET The runner meet and greet area can be very busy, so please take note of the following advice. There will be meeting points in Horse Guards Road and Horse Guards Parade with areas marked by letters of the alphabet - meet at your family initial or at another pre-arranged letter. Overseas runners have their own dedicated repatriation area in the Mall, close to Admiralty Arch. Please ask your friends and relatives to meet you at one of these meeting points and ask them NOT to congregate around the exit from the secure area.

This causes massive congestion for exiting runners as well as other health and safety issues for the large numbers of people in this area. Both the Police and our security personnel are under instructions not to allow people to congregate here and to move them along. Please make your arrangements to meet friends and relatives carefully - a little forward planning will prove extremely worthwhile. We strongly suggest that you have a contact telephone number to relay messages, a third party who will be at home and will be able to take calls and pass messages between you, should your plans go awry. Please ask any friends or relatives to bring this magazine with them - there is a spectator guide with details and a map of the finish area on pages xx. In the unlikely event of the Finish Area becoming unavailable as a result of a serious incident on race day or the race being stopped for some other reason, you are advised to agree an alternative meeting place (our suggestion is not within a mile of the Finish Area) with friends and relatives. This will ensure you have a predetermined place to meet which will be more accessible. Heavy mobile phone traffic on all networks mean you may find it impossible to get a signal in and around the Finish Area. Therefore, do not rely on mobile phones as your only means of communication.

Remember you will most likely be tired and weary, as well as proud of your achievement, and meeting with your friends and relatives after the event will be difficult among perhaps 100,000 other runners and relatives if you havenï¿½t made simple arrangements. Remember that 50% of runners finish in four hours plus. You are more likely to run slower than faster than your predicted time. After crossing the Finish Line it will take a minimum of 15 minutes and closer to 30 ï¿½ 40 minutes to reach the runner meet and greet area. Remember to build these factors into your arrangements for meeting friends and relatives. Also on Horseguards Parade there will be a St John Ambulance Station and our Information Point, as well as toilets and payphones. We are very limited in terms of space in this area and would ask that once you have been reunited with your friends and relatives, you move off to allow access to runners behind you. ï¿½ Tell friends and relatives your running number. It is the easiest way for our Information Point to identify you on our database.

ï¿½ There will be a PA system in operation throughout the day at the Finish; this is only for the official race commentary and emergency announcements, NOT for runners seeking lost friends or family. ï¿½ Running for a charity that has a reception afterwards? Find out where it is and how to get there in advance. ï¿½ Need to return to your coach for the journey home? Find out where it will be parked and how to get there before the Race starts. Arranging to meet your friends and relatives ï¿½at the finishï¿½ is simply not adequate and will only lead to distress and frustration on both sides. Following the instructions above will help you to avoid this situation. Remember, DLR and London Underground will allow free travel up to 5pm on their entire network system to RUNNERS ONLY. Friends, relatives and spectators will need to purchase tickets as normal. © copyright The London Marathon Ltd. 2009 Latest News | 35 things you didn’t know about the London Marathon 35 things you didn’t know about the London Marathon 23/03/2015 1. In the beginning The idea for the London Marathon was dreamed up in a pub in 1978.

Chris Brasher and John Disley were in The Dysart Arms, next to Richmond Park, when they heard of the great atmosphere of the New York City Marathon from some of their Ranelagh Harriers running club-mates. The pair decided to check it out for themselves in 1979. On 29 March 1981, they staged the very first London Marathon. 2. The first finish line Constitution Hill, the road that runs from the Wellington Arch by Hyde Park corner to the front of Buckingham Palace, was the location of the first ever London Marathon Finish Line. The word ‘Hill’ is a little misleading – it’s actually a gentle slope. From 1982 until 1993, the course finished on Westminster Bridge. In 1994 bridge repair works meant the Finish Line moved to The Mall, where it has remained ever since. 3. Wonder woman Less than five per cent of finishers in the first London Marathon were women, with Joyce Smith taking the victory in 2:29:57, nine minutes clear of second-placed Gillian Drake.

In 2014 nearly 37 per cent of finishers were women, with Edna Kiplagat winning in a time of 2:20:21, just three seconds clear of second-placed Florence Kiplagat. 4. Job for the boy Current race director Hugh Brasher helped out during the very first London Marathon – selling train tickets. The then 16-year-old was employed by his father Chris, one of the event’s co-founders, to sell tickets at the Strand Palace Hotel. The tickets took runners from Charing Cross to the start area in Blackheath for a fee of 50p. These days travel within London on Race Day is free for all runners on production of their race number. 5. Healthy growth There have been a total of 924,420 finishers in the first 34 editions of the London Marathon. The 500,000 barrier was reached in 2002 and the one million barrier is most likely to be broken at the 2017 race. 6. Thanks to our sponsors Gillette was the first headline sponsor of the London Marathon, and there have been five others since.

The razor brand backed the first three editions before chocolate brand Mars took over in 1984. ADT was next in 1989 before NutraSweet took over in 1993. The longest-running sponsor was Flora, who backed the event for 14 years from 1996. Virgin Money took over in 2010, although the race was initially known as the Virgin London Marathon before adopting its current moniker of the Virgin Money London Marathon in 2014. 7. The race expands Wheelchair races first took place at the London Marathon in 1983, the third edition. Gordon Perry won the men’s race in 3:20:07 while his fellow Briton Denise Smith won the women’s event in 4:29:03. Standards have improved vastly in the intervening decades, with Australia’s Kurt Fearnley setting a phenomenal men’s record of 1:28:56 in 2009 and USA’s Tatyana McFadden winning the 2014 women’s race in a record 1:45:12. 8.

Good measure Hugh Jones, the 1982 London Marathon winner, is now the course measurer. Jones first measured a course in 1976 for a Universities’ Duathlon championship in Calderstones Park, Liverpool, and he has assisted with the ‘blue line’ painting operation at the London Marathon since 1985. Since 1994 he has measured the London and Berlin courses annually as well as Olympic and World Championship courses. A special bicycle is used to measure the course, which Jones says is much more reliable than any GPS-based tools. 9. A betting man On a Saturday night in 1981, future London Marathon race director and former 10,000m world record holder Dave Bedford was in the Mad Hatter, the nightclub he then owned in Luton. Several beers down, he accepted a bet of £250 that he could not complete the following morning’s inaugural London Marathon. Four piña coladas, a phone call to race co-founder Chris Brasher, a king prawn curry and another pint later, Bedford finally got to bed at 04:45. Just 75 minutes later he awoke and headed to the start.

Despite being spotted on BBC TV looking less than his usual vigorous self, Bedford completed the race before falling asleep in a pub. He eventually headed home and spent two days in bed to recover. Legend. Bedford was unable to collect his winnings as the man who made the bet was never seen in the Mad Hatter again. 10. The biggest field In 2012 an incredible 36,705 people completed the race – the highest figure to date. The very first edition in 1981 saw 6,255 cross the finish line. 1999 was the first year that the 30,000 people barrier was broken and it has remained above that figure ever since. 11. Winning ways Norwegian Ingrid Kristiansen is the only runner to have tasted victory four times, triumphing in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988 and setting a world record of 2:21:06 with her second victory. However, British Paralympic legends Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and David Weir have both eclipsed that feat with six wins apiece in their respective wheelchair races.

Grey-Thompson won her first London Marathon in 1992 and her last in 2002. Her final victory proved to be a changing of the guard as that marked Weir’s first triumph, and he most recently won in 2012. A second-placed finish in 2014 means Weir is still in contention to set a new record of seven wins in the near future. 12. Official Charity The first ever official charity of the London Marathon was the Sports Aid Foundation (now SportsAid) in 1984. The charity was established to help young British athletes meet the cost of their careers. Before Lottery funding was introduced in 1997, SportsAid was the major source of financial support for amateur British athletes – the charity helped the careers of Steve Redgrave, Daley Thompson, Jonathan Edwards and Linford Christie among others. The 2015 official charity of the year is Cancer Research UK. 13. Big in Japan When the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan, the London Marathon stepped in to help.

As the Nagoya International Women’s Marathon, which doubled as the final selection race for the Japanese women’s team ahead of the World Championships, had to be cancelled, then-race director Dave Bedford offered a helping hand. Nine of Japan’s finest female athletes were added to the London field, which would now act as their World Championships trial. Azusa Nojiri and Yukiko Akaba both performed well enough in London to earn their place on the world stage in Daegu. 14. Hot stuff The highest recorded temperature in London at noon on marathon day was 21.7C on 22 April 2007. Thirteen years previously, on 17 April 1994, runners had to battle the cold as a record low of 7.6C was recorded at midday. 15. Officially amazing Football freestyler John Farnworth completed the marathon in 2011 while kicking a ball up between his right and left foot with every step. He finished the course in 12:15 and did not drop the ball once. Since then pressure to re-open London roads means there is a time limit of eight hours for runners to complete the race. 16.

Age no barrier The oldest women’s winner of the London Marathon was Joyce Smith, who was 44 when she won for the second year running in 1982, recording a time of 2:29:43 to beat the course record she set a year earlier. The oldest men’s winner was Scot Allister Hutton, who triumphed in 1990 aged 35 and 278 days, recording a time of 2:10:10. Eight years later Spain’s Abel Antón triumphed in 2:07:57, also aged 35 – but Hutton was 94 days older on Race Day. 17. Record breakers At the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon 30 people successfully made it into the Guinness World Records book. The record breakers include Spenser Lane for the fastest marathon dressed as a nut, Emma Denton for the fastest female dressed as an organ and Oliver Johnson for the fastest marathon dressed as a crustacean. Guinness World Records has officially partnered the London Marathon since 2007 and 2011 was the most successful year yet – with 35 records set. 18.

Slow and steady Lloyd Scott completed the slowest ever London Marathon. His effort in 2002, wearing a 110lb deep-sea diving suit, saw him take five days and eight hours to complete the course, which is believed to be a world record for the slowest marathon time. Scott, a former leukaemia sufferer, is a serial charity fundraiser and has also completed the course dressed as a snail, St George and Indiana Jones. 19. Charity giving The record for most money raised for charity at the London Marathon – indeed at any marathon – is held by Reverend Steve Chalke MBE. The Londoner, now 59, raised a jaw-dropping £2,330,159.38 when he completed the 2011 race. The leader of the Oasis Charitable Trust, a worldwide family of charities, Chalke first set the record of £1.25m in 2005, before Sir Steve Redgrave eclipsed him the following year. Chalke claimed the title again in 2007, raising £1.85m before setting the current record (see page 193 to find out more).

20. Good job The most popular occupation for participants who entered the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon was teaching/working in education. 1,408 people came from that profession, with accountants (1,357) and administrators (1,108) close behind. Back in 2003, when records for this began, students were the most common participants – with 2,092 entering, as opposed to just 742 in 2014. 21. Stellar field Deriba Merga finished in a time of 2:06:38 in 2008. That time would have been quick enough to win the race in every 20th century edition, plus 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. However, with Martin Lel setting a new course record of 2:05:15, the quality of the field meant Merga only finished sixth. 22.

Crash course There was drama in 2013 as Olympic champion and key contender in the women’s field Tiki Gelana cut across the road to reach a drinks station, unaware that the men’s wheelchair field was approaching on her inside. Canadian wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy was unfortunate enough to crash into Gelana. Neither of them was seriously injured but the incident was enough to derail both their chances of winning their respective races. 23. The ash cloud In 2010, the eruptions of volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland meant air space over northern Europe was closed for six days due to the resulting ash clouds, causing carnage among those arriving for the London Marathon. Reigning men’s wheelchair champion Kurt Fearnley, who was travelling from Australia, initially had to drop out before finally securing a place on a plane that arrived only two days before the race. Eventually £150,000 was taken from the event’s contingency fund and help was enlisted from the British government to charter private planes to get the elite runners into London from all over the world.

Great Britain’s Mara Yamauchi took six days to reach London having travelled from New Mexico, via Colorado, New Jersey, Lisbon, Madrid and Paris using many different modes of transport. 24. Leading from the front Members of Parliament have regularly taken part in the London Marathon, with 56 different past or present MPs having appeared in the first 34 editions of the race. The only year that no MPs took part was 2010, due to the forthcoming general election, which happened less than two weeks after Race Day. The fastest ever MP remains Matthew Parris, the Conservative MP for Derbyshire West who completed the course in an impressive 2:32:57 in 1985. Only one other MP, Doug Henderson, a Labour representative for Newcastle upon Tyne North, has dipped under three hours – finishing in 2:52:24 in 1989. 25. Youngest winners The youngest male London champion was Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru, who conquered the capital at the tender age of 22 in 2009 with a time of 2:05:10. Tragically, he died only two years later after falling from a balcony.

The youngest female champion was Poland’s Małgorzata Sobaska, who triumphed aged 25 in 1995 finishing in 2:27:43. 26. Oldest finisher The oldest person ever to complete the London Marathon is believed to be Fauja Singh, from Essex, who impressively made it around the course in 6:07 aged 93 in 2004. Singh carried on running until the age of 101, before bowing out with a time of 1:32:28 at the Hong Kong 10km event in 2013. His run at the 2011 Toronto Marathon made him the oldest ever full-marathon runner at 100. Jenny Wood-Allen is believed to be the oldest woman to finish the London Marathon, aged 90 in 2002. She took 11 hours and 34 minutes, despite injuring her head in a fall during training. 27.

Kenyan dominance While Kenya is unsurprisingly the most successful nation in both the men’s and women’s races, it is interesting to note that there was only one Kenyan victor in the men’s race before 2004. There was also only one Kenyan women’s victory between 2001 and 2010. But with nine out of the last 11 men’s races resulting in Kenyan victory and the last four women’s races all won by runners from the East African nation, Kenya now has 18 wins to its name. The United Kingdom, the next most prolific nation, has 13 wins – the last of which was Paula Radcliffe’s 2005 triumph. 16 nations have tasted triumph on the London roads, a number that increases to 23 if you include the wheelchair events. South America is the only continent yet to produce a winner in London. 28. Wedding bells The first couple to get married during the London Marathon were Mick Gambrill and Barbara Cole in 1999. The Croydon pair had even got engaged during the Disney Marathon two years previously. They stopped at Charlton House near Greenwich to be married by a registrar. 29.

An exclusive club Fourteen men have completed every single London Marathon to date. Chris Finill has recorded the fastest PB of the ever-presents – an impressive 2:28:27 in 1985. Finill is also the world record holder for most consecutive sub-three hour runs at the same World Marathon Major. He set a mind-blowing tally of 33 [in London] in 2013, before his run came to an end with a still-impressive 3:10:14 last year at the age of 55. You can find out more about this special group of men on 30. The fastest celeb The fastest ever celebrity runner was Nell McAndrew, the glamour model who clocked a time of 2:54:39 in 2012 at the age of 38. She only took up marathon running in her 30s and set a time of 3:22 in her first marathon, which she continued to lower ahead of her 2012 achievement. 31. A different course In 2008 the elite women ended up running a slightly different course to the elite men.

This was due to a suspected gas leak at the Old Rose Pub on The Highway in Wapping. The leading nine women had to be directed to the far side of the carriageway for a few hundred metres. Engineers investigated but found no leak, despite a strong smell of gas being reported to the London Fire Brigade. Irina Mikitenko ended up winning in 2:24:14. 32. City Pride Runners passing the now-closed City Pride pub at Mile 18 can see runners on the other side of the building who are actually three miles behind them on the course. A new skyscraper – set to be the second tallest residential tower in the country – is to be built on the site, and will also be called ‘City Pride’. 33. The Mini London Marathon Mo Farah won the Mini London Marathon three years in a row between 1998 and 2000. The event for runners aged between 11 and 17 is held on the morning of the London Marathon and takes place over the last three miles of the marathon course.

Other famous winners include 2013 world triathlon champion Non Stanford and wheelchair stars David Weir, Hannah Cockroft and Shelly Woods. 34. We said goodbye to cobbles A fall on the cobbled roads by the Tower of London in 2004 resulted in the course being changed permanently the following year. Evans Rutto, who went on to win the 2004 race in a time of 2:06:18, slipped on the wet cobbles, which used to be carpeted, and took closest challenger Sammy Korir with him. Several other runners also slipped so this tricky part of the route was removed for the 2005 edition and replaced by a fast stretch of road along the Highway and Tower Hill. The fact that Paula Radcliffe set the world record on the old route makes her achievement even more impressive. 35. A team effort Since the London Marathon began in 1981, its runners have raised £716 million for charity – making it officially the largest single annual fundraising event in the world.

For eight years in a row it has broken the Guinness World Record for fundraising at a one-day event, with £53.2 million raised in 2014. In addition, £56.4 million has been allocated to recreational projects by The London Marathon Charitable Trust, using any surplus generated by The London Marathon Ltd. In 2014 The Trust handed out £4.8 million in grants to projects in areas where the company stages events. Virgin London Marathon 2016/2017 Date, Registration, Course Route August 7, 2011 Virgin London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world and is one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors . The first London Marathon took place in 1981. The race was earlier known as the Flora London Marathon, and later was renamed as the Virgin London Marathon. A total of 817,890 runners have completed the London Marathon till date. The event has raised over £450 million for charity and holds the Guinness world record as the largest annual fund raising event in the world.

The Virgin London Marathon is expecting over 36,000 participants in the coming year. There are participants from London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletics medallists who will be racing over the famous course from Blackheath to The Mall, including four London 2012 marathon champions. Share this: Social Media Race Registration You can register on the official website of Virgin London Marathon. The registrations for 2015 opens tentatively in April ‘ 15 for entries towards a ballot, and the results are out in October ’15. The entry system for the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon will open online at on Monday 4 May 2015. Course / Route Map The course starts in Blackheath, heads towards east through Charlton and Woolwich for three miles, then turns west and passes the Cutty Sark in Greenwich after six to seven miles. It crosses the River Thames at Tower Bridge and then loops around the east end of London, past Canary Wharf in Docklands, before heading west again along the Highway and the Embankment to Parliament Square, Birdcage Walk and the final corner in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Virgin London Marathon course is flat and fast. Check out the official interactive London Marathon route map. Race Profile / Elevation Map As for the elevation profile, London is pretty flat with the steepest climb being up the slope onto Tower Bridge. Race Tags Wind Speed: 6 mph to 11 mph Additional Race Info 2014 London Marathon Ballot Entry The 2014 Virgin London Marathon official ballot will open to all applicants on Monday, 29 April 2013. This ballot system will close when 125,000 applications have been received. There are about 37,000 places on offer for runners, but that includes those from charities as well, so actual numbers shortlisted from ballot or probably much less, around 1 in 7 chance if you register. The ballot for 2013 London Marathon opened just after midnight. How long it stays open depends on how long it takes for the system to reach the quota. Last time it closed around 5.30pm. If you want to apply for a ballot place be aware that the ballot closes very quickly, so get your application in fast (approx 24 hours, but don’t bet on it!).

You will find out whether you’ve been successful when the ballot results are announced in October.

Question: From which S.E. London open space do participants start the London Marathon?
Answer: Blackheath