MAIN Recreation Sports 2024 London Marathon

Watch for a UK spring ritual's return as the 2024 London Marathon is set for Sunday, April 21.

There will be no shortage of runners this year -- as the 2024 London Marathon has already set a world record for applicants numbering more than a half millkion from the UK and across the globe.

The run kicks off at 9:45AM local time with live television coverage beginning at 8:30AM on BBC One.

All about the London Marathon

Off to a running start in the Spring of 1981, the inaugural London Marathon saw over 6,000 jogging marathoners cross the finish line as cheering crowds lined the route.

Since then, the London Marathon has continued to grow in size and popularity and today averages more than 45.000 participants annually.

The London Marathon also doubles as a charity event, with hopes of raising millions of pounds in the biggest one-day fund-raiser in the UK. So also watch for an A-list of celebrities to run on London Marathon Sunday to further help the cause.

Meanwhile, join millions of marathon fans - in London and around the world - to wish all the runners all the best of luck!

also see in Travel -> London Underground Tube Maps & Directions

DID YOU KNOW? London Marathon fun facts

Dressing for success.

• Wacky costumes are often the norm for the London Marathon, where runners dress in colorful getups to bring attention to a favorite community organization. Sometimes, it may even result in breaking a world record. In 2015, for example, a runner named Adam Jones entered the Guinness Book for fastest marathoner dressed as a leprechaun.

• While a traditional marathon is 26 miles long, the London Marathon is actually 26.2 miles long (26 miles, 385 yards). The extra yardage is a result of the 1908 London Olympics, where the distance was extended so that the royal family could watch the start of the race from Windsor Castle and the end of the race from the royal box in the Olympic stadium.

• The London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event in the world according to the Guinness World Record. Since the first marathon in 1981, participants have raised close to £1 billion for charity.

• Running the London Marathon route is not only a way to keep in shape and do good for others. It's a great way to see the city's most famous sites along the way including Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the National Maritime Museum, and Buckingham Palace.

London Marathon around the Web:

Around the Web, find out more about big city excitement that fuels the London Marathon, along with events that surround it. Also discover helpful resources for runners, entry details, spectator guides and route maps, marathon fun facts and trivia, and a bit of history behind the London Marathon:

2024 London Marathon - The complete picture including the latest news, official charity sponsors, entry details, background and historical footnotes, interactive course map, spectator guide and best viewing places, training and nutritional guides for runners.

London Marathon Info 2024 - German marathon enthusiast with late breaking news on the race, route maps, pictures, entry info, spectator guides, and an extensive list of related links and resources.

London Marathon - Wikipedia - The online encyclopedia with an extensive hyperlinked overview and history of the race, a list of past winners, and related resources.

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