London Marathon
London Marathon
The London marathon was founded by former Olympian and journalist Chris Brasher. The inspiration for the event was the New York marathon. In the first race on March 29, 1981 7,500 athletes participated in the inaugural event. Since its inception the event has attracted many more participants. In 2007 over 36,000 participated. This number was narrowed down from around 125,000 applicants where almost 50,000 were accepted. David Bedford is now the current organizer of the event. A few historical items about the London marathon: former boxer Michael Watson, who was told he’d never walk again, completed the course in six days. Sir Steve Redgrave set a Guinness World Record by raising £1.8 million and then the previous record holder, Steve Chalke, raised £1.86 million to reclaim the title the next year.
Sponsored Links
  |
London Marathon Deaths
The London marathon has resulted in nine people dying since the event began. The most recent was a 22-year-old man who died from hyponatremia. This condition is brought on when the sodium levels in the plasma of the blood fall too low. It is also more commonly known as water intoxication and is the result of consuming too much water in comparison to its usage. To prevent this many runners will try to consume salty snacks such as pretzels to raise their sodium levels. It can also be helped by consuming sports drinks and eating something at the aid stations rather than drinking water. There have been many recent cases in the media that talk of water intoxication. The most notable in recent memory is the water drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii hosted by a Sacramento radio station. The title of the competition led people to believe that the condition had something to do with not urinating, this is a false assumption.
London Marathon Course Map
The course for the London marathon leads along roads near the River Thames. Finding a map of the exact route is extremely easy. Just check the official London marathon Web site. They will have information on registering, making travel plans and just about any other thing the prospective racer will be interest in. They also provide information regarding training just as many other official sites provide. They even have an official online store. The store provides various tools that will help a runner’s training, such as stop watches or heart rate monitors. It sells training clothing and shoes, a good resource for the avid runner who also wants to help support the marathon. They also sell various memorabilia such as shirts and hats that have the logo for the marathon on them. There is even a section with a fine art gallery.
