London Marathon participants experience some two thousand years of history in 26.2 miles.
Former ten thousand meters world record holder David Bedford did not take the standard approach to running his first London Marathon. “At the time—1981—I had finished my serious running career, though I was certainly aware that the event was taking place,” he recalled. “I owned a nightclub in Luton (just north of London) at the time, and one of the punters in the club got me into a bet that I couldn’t run the marathon the next day. I’d had a few beers at the time, and I took his bet . . . and changed from beer to piña coladas. I was a bit worse for wear, but when the race started the next morning at nine o’clock, I was there. I finished in three hours and forty-five minutes—not my best time—but to be honest, I was delighted to have finished. Though I won the bet, I was never paid.” The payment, at least from a karmic perspective, came a bit later: In the year 2000, David was named race director.
The London Marathon (now Virgin Money London Marathon) was conceived by two members of the Ranelagh Harriers, John Disley and Chris Brasher. The group regularly met at a pub called the Dysart Arms, and one night over pints of bitters, there was talk of the New York Marathon, which several club members had run in 1978. Disley and Brasher decided to journey across the pond to try it for themselves in 1979. Upon finishing, they couldn’t help but imagine the great city of London one day hosting a marathon to rival the race of the young upstart in America. The idea of such a large-scale run posed a number of challenges, not least of which was the closing of twenty-six miles of road and several bridges (including the iconic Tower Bridge). But Disley and Brasher were able to secure both police approval for the route and a sponsor (Gillette—though since 2008 the sponsor has been Virgin Money), as the city fathers refused to underwrite the event. The inaugural race in March of 1981 saw 7,747 runners leave the starting line, and 6,255 crossed the finish. The following year, there were ninety thousand applications from would-be entrants, and more than eighteen thousand runners participated.
A race worthy of the city had been born.
“When Chris and John first assembled the event, they had two challenges,” David continued. “To help ensure that it could grow into a major event, they had to make the course as fast as possible while passing as many iconic landmarks as possible. While the course has many twists and turns and is not quite as fast as Berlin, London has had its share of world records. Finding a large open area for the start was critical, and Blackheath (in southeast London) fit the bill. From there, the hope was to follow the River Thames as much as possible. In those early days, London was being massively rebuilt, so there were constant changes to the course to accommodate that—though the start and finish [near Buckingham Palace] have remained constant. In considering any alterations, the goal of keeping a fast course was a driving factor.” After leaving Blackheath, runners reach Cutty Sark (the famed clipper ship, not the scotch) in Greenwich after roughly six miles. You’ll cross the meridian line (as in Greenwich Mean Time) and then cross the River Thames at Tower Bridge, London’s most popular tourist site. “From here, the route then turns into the East End,” David explained. “This was once a dull, rather desolate part of the city, but now it’s been rebuilt with Canary Wharf and London’s new financial center. Then it comes back toward the center of London, past many iconic landmarks—the London Eye [also known as the Millennium Wheel], the Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben, to end on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. Over 26.2 miles, runners experience two thousand years of London history.”
The London Marathon attracts more than six hundred thousand spectators, making it perhaps the city’s greatest outdoor celebration. “It’s one of the longest street parties in the world,” David added. “There are seventy-five bands spread along the route, and many of the pubs that are passed have their best day of the year. Overall, it’s a very festive atmosphere. I think the runners have as much fun looking at the spectators as they do taking in the sights.”
One of David’s most abiding memories of the London Marathon—a memory likely shared by many around the world—is Michael Watson’s determined completion of the course in 2003. Watson was a professional boxer until he received a near fatal blow from Chris Eubank as the two competed for the World Boxing Organization super middleweight title on a fateful night in 1991 that left him with severe brain injuries. After forty days in a coma and six brain operations, he seemed to have little hope of recovery. But within a year his speech returned, then he was able to use a wheelchair, and he eventually regained the ability to walk. In 2003, in an effort to raise funds for the Brain & Spine Foundation, he set out to show the world he was still a fighter, walking two hours each morning and afternoon for six days until he crossed the finish line with a time of six days, two hours, twenty-seven minutes, and seventeen seconds. As he finished, Chris Eubank, who’d become a close friend, was at his side.
“There are people who make it difficult for themselves to finish the marathon,” David mused, “pushing things along or dressing up. The spirit of the London Marathon was never shown more powerfully than when Michael completed it, without making it any harder than life had already made it for him. It’s here that the true spirit of the marathon resides.”
DAVID BEDFORD is a former race director of the London Marathon and chairman of the IAAF Road Running Commission, and was once a world record holder in the ten thousand meters. In addition to his many running achievements, both as a competitor and an administrator, David has been a teacher and a nightclub owner. He also held British records in the three-thousand-meter steeplechase and five thousand meters, and competed in the 1972 Olympics. In 2014, David was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to athletics and charitable fund-raising.
If You Go
Getting There: London is served by most international carriers.
Best Time to Visit: The Virgin Money London Marathon is generally held on the fourth Sunday in April.
Race Information: You can review event details and complete an entry form at the marathon’s website (virginmoneylondonmarathon.com).
Accommodations: Lodging packages at partner hotels are highlighted at the marathon’s website. Visit London (visitlondon.com) lists a host of other lodging options.