Back to blog
The London Marathon is nearly here and we’ve got some fun facts to share with you. We researched the race’s history, top news articles and more to find the most interesting and random facts about the London Marathon.
The first London Marathon was in 1981.
That means this year will be the 38th race.
Gillette was the first ever sponsor of the race.
The next sponsor was Mars after the decision was made to pay the elite athletes, increasing the funding amount that was needed.
Between 1982 and 1993 the race finished on Westminster Bridge.
It had to be moved in 1994 when repair work began on the bridge.
Couples have been known to get married halfway through the marathon so look out for wedding dresses!
The first couple to get married in the middle of the London Marathon were Mick Gambrill and Barbara Cole, who got married in 1999.
Jenny Wood-Allen became the oldest runner to finish the race in 2002.
She was 90 at the time and took 11 hours and 34 minutes to finish.
This year (2018), 13 Great British Bake Off stars will be taking part. That’s a whole baker’s dozen!
The Bake Off team includes series 7 favourite Selasi Gbormittah and food blogger Chetna Makan.
According to data recorded by Strava, the fastest runners are in the 35 to 44 age group.
The second fastest are 45 to 54, proving experience is a major factor in doing well.
There are more than 100 official Guinness World Record attempts at the London Marathon.
Record titles include “fastest marathon carrying a household appliance” and “fastest marathon dressed as a plant”.
The “Ever Presents” are a small group of runners that have completed every London Marathon since the race started in 1981.
There are now just 12 of them taking part this year.