After the 1979, New York City Marathon, Chris Brasher wondered whether London could stage such a festival. On March 29th 1981 the London Marathon was held for the first time and two decades later we all 'now' know that they have succeeded in creating a phenomenal event.

London has set out to not only provide a running event for the elite athletes and masses but also to raise many for numerous charities. It is estimated that over 100 million has been raised for numerous charities over the years. The amount raised by runners grows significantly each year and positions the race as one of Britain's most successful annual charity fundraising events. London's course lets the athlete view many of the City's historical sites and has truly become the runner's event. 

Each year there are many more entrants than those who are actually lucky enough to run the race.

The course record for women stands at 2Hr 23min 22sec, this was achieved using a seperate start for women. The fastest women's time on the course belongs to Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway who established a time of 2Hr 21min 06sec in 1985, which stood as the then world record.

Course records
Male	Khalid Khannouchi	USA [born Morocco]	2002	2Hr 05min 38sec
Female	Paula Radcliffe	Britain	2002	2Hr 18min 56sec
Date:	April	Organising Country:	Britain

For more information: www.london-marathon.co.uk