THE 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon is set to be the biggest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world, with an incredible 100,000 runners scheduled to take part on Sunday, October 3.
And while the main event in the capital is already a sell-out, there are still places available for the virtual marathon on the same day.
Organisers London Marathon Events have confirmed the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon will return this year, with 50,000 places available for runners to take on the world’s greatest marathon on the course of their choice from 00:00:00 to 23:59:59 BST on October 3, wherever they are.
On the same day, a record 50,000 participants will run from Blackheath to The Mall in the traditional mass-participation Virgin Money London Marathon on the streets of the capital, an increase of more than 7,000 on the previous finisher record.
The virtual Virgin Money London Marathon was held for the first time in 2020 when more than 37,000 runners, from all corners of the world, completed the event.
It was confirmed that the final finishing total of 37,966 means it has been awarded an official Guinness World Records title for the ‘Most users to run a remote marathon in 24 hours’.
Hugh Brasher, Virgin Money London Marathon event director, said: “With a national vaccination programme underway, we hope to see an unprecedented 100,000 people take part in this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, October 3.
“The London Marathon is a wonderful example of sport as a force for good while raising millions for charity.
“The world record-breaking success of the virtual event in 2020 and the incredible stories from participants across the globe showed how the world’s greatest marathon brought light and hope in the darkness of the pandemic.
“We want to offer that again and we have also accelerated the plans we have been working on for some years to increase the number of finishers on the streets of London to 50,000.
“People can run wherever they are in the world, they can run for charity, they can run for their mental or physical health, or run for the sheer enjoyment of it – whatever the reason, they will be part of a unique day in the history of the London Marathon on Sunday, October 3.”
Entries cost £28 (plus an additional £10 for entries outside the UK to cover international postage) and all finishers will receive their running numbers before the event and their coveted official finisher medal and New Balance finisher’s t-shirt post-event.
To apply for the virtual marathon, go to: www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/the-event/virtual-marathon
