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Last weekend it was the London Marathon and most of us in the Doorsan office watched some or all of it. We were all amazed at the achievement of so many people and I thought I'd share some interesting facts about the event in this post.
The London Marathon was first organised in March 1981 and 6,747 people were accepted to take part in this event. Interestingly this first race resulted in a tie between an American man and a Norwegian man who crossed the finish line holding hands.
This year's event saw nearly 40,000 runners take part including professional athletes, people raising money for charities, people in elaborate costumes and a bunch of famous people.
The London Marathon is 26.2 miles in total and follows a course that incorporates many of the key tourist attractions in the capital. The route largely follows the River Thames and the crossing of Tower Bridge is around the mid-point.
The biggest annual fundraising event in the world, the London Marathon has raised more than £500 million for a range of charities.
One of the most memorable participants was a man called Lloyd Scott who completed the course wearing a heavy deep-sea diving suit. The suit weighed 110lb and it took him 5 days and 8 hours to complete. New rules state that the race must be completed within 24 hours.
There is an amazing inspirational group of men who have completed every single Marathon since its inception in 1981. These 15 runners are known as the Ever Present participants and the oldest is 79 years old.
In 2012 a lady called Claire Squires entered the race and tragically she died after she collapsed during the course. The public were inspired by her passion and dedication and raised almost a million pounds to add to her original £500 sponsorship.
Congratulations to anyone that took part in this amazing event from everyone at the Doorsan office.
