The London Marathon is an annual road race of 26.2 miles through the streets of London, first held in March 1981. It was conceived by the former Olympic runner and journalist Chris Brasher, who had been inspired by the New York City Marathon, and by John Disley. Several thousand runners took part in the first race, in which two men, Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen, crossed the line together as joint winners. The event now includes elite athletes, wheelchair racers and tens of thousands of amateurs, many raising money for charities. Its course runs from southeast London to The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, passing sights such as the Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge.
Before and after
- 18 December 1980Birth of Christina Aguilera
- 1981Establishment of Triglav National Park
- 1981Founding of Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf
- 1981Silver Spring Monkeys
- 1981Origins of London Marathon
- 1981Alan Guth proposes cosmic inflation
- 19811981 becomes the warmest year on record
- from 6 February 1981 to 25 January 1986Ugandan Bush War
- 17 February 1981Birth of Paris Hilton
More in Society, economy & sport
- 24 October 1945Founding of United Nations
- 16 November 1945Founding of UNESCO
- 4 April 1949Founding of NATO
- 1960Founding of Somalia
- 1 November 1993Founding of European Union
- 2015Rise of Wikipedia Asian Month
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.