As a fundraising event, there is no race in the world
that comes close to the London Marathon!
It all started back in 1978, in a pub next to Richmond Park and was the brain child of John Disley and the late Chris Brasher (both Olympic medallists). They’d heard about the incredible atmosphere of the New York Marathon from fellow runners of the Raneleigh Harriers running club. Both men decided to train for, run and witness for themselves what the New York race was all about. They returned full of tales of how wonderful a ‘city mass marathon’ could be with world famous sights, cheering spectators and the camaraderie of the runners. Could London possibly host a similar event?
Brasher wrote an article for The Observer called ‘The World’s Most Human Race‘.
“To believe this story you must believe that the human race can be one joyous family, working together, laughing together, achieving the impossible. Last Sunday, 11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a million people, laughed, cheered and suffered during the greatest folk festival the world has seen.“ He concluded by wondering “Whether London could stage such a festival? We have the course, a magnificent course … but do we have the heart and hospitality to welcome the world?”
Very soon the pair found themselves discussing course routes with the Greater London Council, the Police, the City of London, the Amateur Athletics Association and the London Tourist Board. Closing down 26 miles of London road was going to be tricky but not impossible and soon, with everyone in agreement, the course was set.
But…on one condition… the Chairman of the GLC, Sir Horace Cutler, said “You should never ask the ratepayers to bail you out. Not a penny from the GLC.”
Luckily for the London Marathon, Gillette had just finished sponsoring cricket’s Gillette Cup and were looking for advice on what to sponsor next. The London Marathon was perfect and a deal worth £75,000 a year for three years was struck.
Five months later, on 29 Marth 1981, the first London Marathon was held. Over 20,000 people wanted to run but only 7,747 were accepted. The American, Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen staged a spectacular dead heat at the finish line, leading home 6,255 finishers. Joyce Smith, a 43 year old mother of two, broke the British record to win the women’s race.
The event was a huge success with the thousands of spectators who lined the course and with viewers at home who watched courtesy of the BBC. So massive was the interest in the London Marathon that the following year saw more than 90,000 people apply from hopeful runners from around the world.
A total of 746,635 runners have completed the London Marathon (1981-2009) while a record 35,694 people finished in 2007.
