The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, England. It is the second-largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to October for 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The largely flat course is set around the River Thames, starting in Blackheath and finishing at The Mall. Hugh Brasher is the current race director and Nick Bitel its chief executive.
Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner who was the first women's Olympic Games marathon champion, winning the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She held the fastest time for an American woman at the Chicago Marathon for 32 years after winning the race in 1985. Her time at the Boston Marathon was the fastest time by an American woman at that race for 28 years. She was inducted into the Maine Women's Hall of Fame in 2000.
Ingrid Kristiansen is a Norwegian former athlete. She was one of the best female long-distance runners during the 1980s. She is a former world record holder in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon. Kristiansen was a World Champion on the track, roads and cross-country, becoming the first athlete to win World titles on all three surfaces. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she finished fourth in the first women's Olympic marathon. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she dropped out of the 10,000 metres final while leading. Early in her career, she was also an elite cross country skier, winning several Norwegian titles and a European junior championships.
The 2010 London Marathon was the 30th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 25 April. The elite men's race was won by Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede in a time of 2:05:19 hours and the elite women's race was won by Aselefech Mergia, also of Ethiopia, in 2:22:38.
The 2011 London Marathon was the 31st running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 17 April. The elite men's race was won by Kenya's Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai in a course record time of 2:04:40 hours and the elite women's race was won by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, also of Kenya, in 2:19:19.
The 2012 London Marathon was the 32nd running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 22 April. Both of the elite races were won by Kenyan athletes, and Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede was the only non-Kenyan to reach the podium in either race. Mary Jepkosgei Keitany won the women's elite race for the second year running with a Kenyan record time of 2:18:37 hours. Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich was the men's race winner with a time of 2:04:44 – four seconds off Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai's course record set at the 2011 London Marathon.
The 2015 London Marathon was the 35th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 26 April. The men's elite race was won by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and the women's race was won by Ethiopian Tigist Tufa. The 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships marathon events were also held during the race. The men's wheelchair race was won by Josh George from the United States and the women's wheelchair race was won by American Tatyana McFadden. McFadden set a course record for the second year running.
The 2008 London Marathon was the 28th running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 13 April. The elite men's race was won by Kenya's Martin Lel in a time of 2:05:15 hours and the women's race was won by Germany's Irina Mikitenko in 2:24:14.
The 2004 London Marathon was the 24th running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday 18 April. The race was the coldest London Marathon in history, and the wettest race in history until it was surpassed in 2020.
The 2003 London Marathon was the 23rd running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 13 April. The elite men's race was won by Ethiopia's Gezahegne Abera in a time of 2:07:56 hours and the women's race was won by home athlete Paula Radcliffe in 2:15:25. Radcliffe's time was a marathon world record, improving on her own record by nearly two minutes.
The 2000 London Marathon was the 20th running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 16 April. The elite men's race was won by Portugal's António Pinto in a time of 2:06:36 hours and the women's race was won by Kenya's Tegla Loroupe in 2:24:33.
The 1991 London Marathon was the 11th running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 21 April. The elite men's race was won by Soviet athlete Yakov Tolstikov in a time of 2:09:17 hours and the women's race was won by Portugal's Rosa Mota in 2:26:14. Tolstikov's run was a Soviet record, which was never bettered as the country collapsed at the end of 1991.
The 1988 London Marathon was the eighth running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 17 April. The elite men's race was won by Denmark's Henrik Jørgensen in a time of 2:10:20 hours and the women's race was won by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen in 2:25:41.
The 1987 London Marathon was the seventh running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 10 May. The elite men's race was won by Japan's Hiromi Taniguchi in a time of 2:09:50 hours and the women's race was won by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen in 2:22:48.
The 1984 London Marathon was the fourth running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 13 May. The elite men's race was won by home athlete Charlie Spedding in a time of 2:09:57 hours, and the women's race was won by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen in 2:24:26.
The 1983 London Marathon was the third running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 17 April. The elite men's race was won by home athlete Mike Gratton in a time of 2:09:43 hours and the women's race was won by Norway's Grete Waitz in 2:25:29. Waitz's time was a marathon world record, yet it stood for only one day as it was beaten by Joan Benoit at the 1983 Boston Marathon.
The 1989 Boston Marathon was the 93rd running of the annual marathon race in Boston, United States, which was held on April 17. The elite men's race was won by Ethiopia's Abebe Mekonnen in a time of 2:09:06 hours and the women's race was won by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen in 2:24:33. In the wheelchair race, Philippe Couprie of France won the men's race in 1:36:04 and Connie Hansen of Denmark won the women's race in 1:50:06.
The 1986 Boston Marathon was the 90th running of the annual marathon race in Boston, United States, which was held on April 21. The elite men's race was won by Australia's Robert de Castella in a time of 2:07:51 hours and the women's race was won by Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen in 2:24:55. In the wheelchair race, André Viger of Canada won the men's race in 1:43:25 and Candace Cable of United States won the women's race in 2:09:28. A men's visually impaired race was hosted within the marathon for the first time, and was won by an American Ricardo Pacheco in a time of 3:35:15.
The 1985 Boston Marathon was the 89th running of the annual marathon race in Boston, United States, which was held on April 15. The elite men's race was won by Great Britain's Geoff Smith in a time of 2:14:05 hours and the women's race was won by American Lisa Rainsberger in 2:34:06. In the wheelchair race, George Murray of the United States won the men's race in 1:45:34 and Candace Cable of United States won the women's race in 2:05:26.
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