The Virgin Money London Marathon

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The London Marathon

Another fantastic year for the Virgin Money London Marathon! This colossal mass participation event, which took place on the 3rd of October 2021, saw a combined 80,000 participants joining in, both in person and virtually.

This year, the #WeRunTogether campaign was at the forefront of the London Marathon, celebrating every person who takes part in the event, whether on the streets of London or their local running route, using the London Marathon App. #WeRunTogether is also a celebration of the yearly event simply returning in its full capacity, with nearly 900 days between it and the previous London Marathon.

Children's London Marathon
Children’s London Marathon Medal.

Fastest Winners and Champs

As always, the Marathon boasted some awe-inspiring race times. 

The 2021 Men’s Champion, Sisay Lemma, ran an incredible 2:04:01 race, only a minute and a half away from Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:02:37 record.

The incredible Joyciline Jepkosgei took the Women’s Champion title, with an excellent 2:17:43 run, incredibly close to Paula Radcliffe’s record of 2:15:25.

In the elite wheelchair races, Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär both set new course records, with Hug finishing in 1:26:27, and Schär at 1:39:52. Schär’s record surpassed her previous course record set back in 2017 by 5 seconds, and in the men’s, Hug cruised past the previous record set by Kurt Fearnley by a whopping two and a half minutes.

As for the British Champions, Charlotte Purdue came first in the women’s with a time of 2:23:26, and Philip Sesemann took a shock first in the men’s, running a 2:12:58 time.

London marathon Medal Pouch
London Marathon medal with Running Imp supplied medal pouch.

The Running Imp Team

We’re thrilled to have once again played the role of Official Timing Clock Operators at the 41st London Marathon. You may have spotted our team there at the weekend, operating the forty-one timing clocks across the course. It’s fantastic for us to participate in such a prestigious event, and it brings no end of joy to the team, who get to witness some of the greatest athletes in the world!

Of course, it’s not just the timing clocks we deliver. As the Official Medal Supplier, we’re proud to have been able to bring the stunning 2021 London Marathon medal to all of its participants. In a way, this medal represents the rebirth of mass participation events, and even after a trying year, we’re thrilled to still be at the forefront of these events.

Finally, we’d like to congratulate every Virgin Money London Marathon participant on their incredible success. The event couldn’t happen without everyone taking part and making it an unforgettable day.

Don’t forget! The 2022 ballot is now open, so get your name in if you want a chance to take part next year.

If you’d like to read more about Running Imp and what we do, feel free to check out more of our blog section here.

View from the sidelines after setting up the Timing Clocks
View from the sidelines after setting up the Timing Clocks

 

Written by: MollyIllsley

Published on: 4 October 2021

Categories: Employee