In 1981, Chris Basher and John Disley sat in a pub with a group of running friends and had the idea for a marathon through London. Now in 2024 the London Marathon is the second-largest annual race in the UK, part of the World Marathon Majors and the single most important date in every runner’s diary. 

This year there was no shortage of records being shattered. Mary Keitany had held the fastest time since the 2017 marathon with 2:17:01, but in this year's elite women's race her record was beaten by another Kenyan, Peres Jepchirchir, who took first place and set a new world record of 2:16:06. Joyciline Jepkosgei, also from Kenya and Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu also all beat the previous record. The men’s elite race was also taken by a Kenyan, Alexander Mutiso with a time of 2:04:01, followed closely by the 2008 Beijing gold medallist, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele. Up until the final stretch towards The Mall there was a close battle between the two UK’s runners, Emile Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed, with Cairess eventually taking third. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug held the lead throughout almost the entire second half of the men’s elite wheelchair, winning with 1:28:35. Despite leading the start of the race, the USA’s Daniel Romanchuck came second, with the UK’s David Weir third. With plenty of distance between her and the other racers, Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner won the women’s elite wheelchair race with a time of 1:38:54. Within seconds of each other, fellow Swiss Manuela Schär achieved second place with a time of 1:45:00, with the USA’s Tatyana McFadden in third place at 1:45:51.

This year’s London marathon made history, changing its rules to become the first marathon in the world awarding the same amount of prize money to wheelchair athletes and their able-bodied counterparts. After Marcel Hug’s and Catherine Debrunner’ wins in the men and women’s wheelchair races, they will be equal recipients to the £44,000 also awarded to Alexander Mutiso and Peres Jepchirchir. For some the rule changes have been more disappointing. In 2002 Lloyd Scott famously ran the marathon in a full, 1940’s deep-sea diving suit, taking more than five days to complete the course. His hopes to recreate that stretch were dimmed however, by the new rule that the marathon must be completed within a day. 

In the mass race however, people don’t run to qualify for the Olympics. Rather, they run either as a test of personal strength and endurance, or as representatives for a wider cause. Since its founding, the London marathon has helped to raise over £1 billion, with more than 1,700 charities benefiting from the hard-won funding. Yesterday’s marathon continued to exceed expectations, raising more than £40 million for charities such as Dementia UK, Cancer Research, Save the Rhino’s, various hospices and countless others. Samaritans were the 2024 London Marathon Charity of the Year, who stationed volunteers at five checkpoints along the course. Support wasn’t only available for the runners, but also for the spectators with emotional support hubs along the route, putting the mental health cause at the centre of the race. 

It is one of this young reporter’s goals to run the marathon next year, so if you’ve always thought of participating and never signed up, perhaps I’ll see you on the 2025 course running with me!