'L' is for ... the LONDON MARATHON

I’m trying to get as many people as I can behind Jimmy who is running this Sunday, 17 April 2011 in the LONDON MARATHON in memory of my dear friend, Carmen (Woozle) who sadly died on New Year’s Eve, 2009, aged only 42.

Held every spring, this year’s 31st London Marathon, sponsored by Virgin Money, is now one of the biggest running events in the world. It’s hugely, hugely popular and notoriously difficult to get into. In 2010, 160,000 applied for a place and the race saw a record of 35,500 finishers.

What makes the London Marathon so special is the amount of charities it supports. Since it started in 1981, the event has raised over £450 million and holds the Guinness world record as the largest annual fund raising event in the world.

My hubby has run the New York marathon but despite several attempts has so far been unsuccessful to get into the London Marathon. Knowing several people who have run it, we have heard it is very, very special marathon, which is huge fun to run, and you hear of some heart-warming stories of human endeavour and spirit. The crowd and atmosphere carries people around the mainly flat course 26.2 miles around the River Thames, and through the streets of London to the finish in The Mall alongside St. James's Palace.

In last year’s, there were more world records achieved than at any time in the marathon's history. 74 heroic runners took part in 29 official world record attempts, and 18 new Guinness World Records were achieved and featured in the famous book.


Here are just some of the records:
• Most money raised for charity by a marathon runner - £1,841,138
• Most runners linked to complete a marathon - 34 people
• Tallest costume worn while running a marathon - 7.04 metres
• The fastest marathon dressed as a vegetable - 3 hr 09 min 21 sec
• Fastest marathon carrying a 40 lb pack - 4 hr 42 min 44 sec
• Fastest marathon in a fireman's uniform - 4 hr 45 min 16 sec
• Fastest marathon run by a married couple - aggregated time - 5 hr 59 min and 20 sec
• The fastest time run in a Santa outfit is 3:12:27

Just a little additional information for anyone who is interested. The name Marathon came about to commemorate the legend of a Greek soldier Pheidippides who, legend tells us, was a Greek soldier who acted as a messenger. Having fought in the battle of Marathon (490,BC) the legend says that he ran the whole way from there to Marathon proclaiming “We have won” before collapsing and dying. And appropriately the oldest man to complete a 26-mile marathon was a Greek runner - Dimitrion Yordanidis who ran it in Athens, Greece in 1976. At age 98, he finished in 7 hr 33 min.

There’s hope for my hubby yet.

But in the meantime, if anyone can help Jimmy raise the £5,000 he’s aiming for in memory of Carmen, then please - anything, however small, is most welcome.

Good luck Jimmy, the star in my blog for today. Carmen will be up there, looking down and cheering you on with the rest of us.

So there's my 'L' - the LONDON MARATHON

Until another day
Bye for now
xx