52-481: The Tough Guy Competition was an endurance challenge that claims to be the world's most demanding one-day survival ordeal. First staged in 1987 and organised by Billy Wilson under the pseudonym of "Mr. Mouse", it is held on a 600-acre (2.42 square km) farm in the English village of Perton, Staffordshire . It has been described as "the toughest race in the world", with up to one-third of the starters failing to finish in
104-496: A title sponsorship , it has been branded the " TCS London Marathon" since 2022. NOTE: The 2020 race was restricted to elite athletes in able-bodied (30 for each sex) and invited wheelchair athletes. The London Marathon was not the first long-distance running event held in the city, which has a long history of marathon events. The Polytechnic Marathon (also known as the Poly ) was first held in 1909. The current London Marathon
156-477: A 3-mile mini marathon event for under-17 athletes. There is a significant charity running aspect to the marathon, with participants helping to raise over £1 billion since its founding, including £67 million at the 2024 London Marathon which was the highest amount for a single-day fund-raising event. Since 2006, the elite race has been part of the World Marathon Majors , which includes seven of
208-563: A cross-country run including many (2016 was nine) 50-metre slalom runs up and down a hill, over 6 feet deep mud and water filled ditches (resembling the Battle of the Somme), log jumps, followed by an assault course. Claimed to be tougher than any other publicly accessible worldwide, featuring over 25 obstacles through, under and over freezing water pools, over fire pits, rope bridges, nets and so on (see detail below). The organizers claim that running
260-708: A cyclist, a career that was curtailed after an accident on the Aldersley track. Wilson was among the pioneers of the running boom in Britain in the 1980s, helping to found the Wolverhampton Road Runners club, of which he became chairman, and from 1982 to 1987 he organized the annual Wolverhampton Marathon and half-marathon. [1] Road-related leg injuries and increasing traffic saw Wilson shift his focus to his off-road events, staged on his own land, which have been extremely successful, raising £170,000 at
312-481: A dozen broken or dislocated bones and 600 runners - including the winner - suffered hypothermia. Nettle Warrior is the summer version of Tough Guy, first staged in 1998, and is normally run at the end of July. Though the course is essentially the same as Tough Guy, there are notable differences. Nettle Warrior involves two laps of an area the organizers have called "The Killing Fields", a log carry and some rafting as part of "The Lake" obstacle. Before he began staging
364-408: A minimum amount for a registered charitable cause. In contrast to the other World Marathon Majors and other international events, London Marathon has a bigger focus on charity running than other similar events. London Marathon participants have helped to raise over £1 billion since its founding, including £67 million (dated to Apr 24 2024) at the 2024 London Marathon which was the highest amount for
416-492: A new Guinness World Record for money raised through a marathon by collecting £1.8 million in sponsorship. This broke the record set the previous year by the founder of the Oasis Trust , Steve Chalke , who had collected over £1.25 million. In 2011, Chalke raised a new record £2.32 million. The £500 that Claire Squires collected before the race increased to over £1 million after she died having collapsed during
468-409: A review of their security arrangements, despite no specific threats against the event. A 30-second silence was held before the start of the marathon to show respect and support to those affected by the tragedy. The race is currently organised by Hugh Brasher, son of Chris, as race director and Nick Bitel as chief executive. Previously David Bedford and Bitel had overseen a period of great change for
520-496: A single-day fund-raising event. In recent years, following the growth in popularity of recreational running, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain a place via the general ballot or lottery. In 2024, success in the ballot is estimated to be below 3%. There have been a number of changes in recent years to address the increase in applications (online applications, removal of multi-ballot entry guarantee etc.). The 2025 event ballot received more than 840,000 applications, exceeding
572-577: A street party with music and confetti cannons. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 London Marathon was run on a non-traditional course, consisting of 19.6 laps of length 2.15 kilometres (1.34 mi) around St James's Park , taking in The Mall , Horse Guards Parade , Birdcage Walk and Buckingham Palace . The final circuit was 1,345 metres (0.84 mi) along the Mall, following the finish line of
SECTION 10
#1732780080955624-409: A typical event . The race consists of a cross country run, followed by an obstacle course, also referred to as the "Killing Fields". There is a smaller course for participants of that day's event. It consists of; In January 2010 CBBC aired the series "My life". On the first episode "Tough Kids" boys aged 11–12 take part in the assault course. Three of the boys are especially determined to tackle
676-474: A typical year. After 27 stagings of the winter event, Wilson still claimed nobody had ever finished the course according to his extremely demanding rules. The race, and its summer equivalent, has suffered two fatalities during its history. Taking place at the end of January, often in freezing winter conditions, the Tough Guy race is staged over a course of over 9 miles (2016 about 15 kilometres). It consists of
728-576: Is 2:01:25 set by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Marcel Hug of Switzerland set the Men's Wheelchair Race course record at 1:26:27 in 2021, and the Women's equivalent was set by Swiss athlete Manuela Schär in 2021, with 1:39:52. The race attracts amateur runners who make up the bulk of the thirty thousand or more participants; commonly running in fancy dress for charity causes. In 2002, Lloyd Scott completed
780-534: Is for under-13s, under-15s and under-17s from all 33 London Boroughs along with 13 teams from ten English regions and three Home Countries: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland . There is also a Mini Wheelchair race on the day. The race doubles as the British Athletics 3mile Championships. The BBC has broadcast live coverage of the London Marathon since its inception in 1981 and has broadcast
832-466: Is provided by 150 doctors. Also assisting were more than 1,500 volunteers of St. John Ambulance , who organise over 50 first aid posts along the route, and three field hospitals at the finish. St John Ambulance also provide a number of healthcare professions for the event, including nurses, paramedics, ambulances with crews. The BBC covers the event, devoting rolling coverage for most of the morning. The theme music associated with this coverage, and with
884-677: 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 (son of Chris) is the current race director and Nick Bitel its chief executive. The race has several components: it has a mass race for the public, professional races for men and women long-distance runners , elite level wheelchair races for men and women, plus
936-513: The 2012 race. A small number of runners, known as the " Ever Presents ", have completed each of the London Marathons since 1981. When the list was first established in 1995, there were 42. After 2019 , their number has shrunk to 10. At the running of the 2019 event, the oldest runner was 85-year old Kenneth Jones, whilst the youngest runner was 60-year-old Chris Finill. They are all male. There are multiple ways that runners can enter
988-684: The BBC every year is from the film score of The Trap , a 1966 film about a Canadian fur trapper, starring Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham . The music was written by Ron Goodwin and is performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra . The original sponsors of the London Marathon were Gillette , who sponsored the event from 1981 to 1983. Subsequent sponsors have been Mars (1984–1988), ADT (1989–1992), NutraSweet (1993–1995), and Flora (1996–2009). Virgin Money sponsored
1040-467: The Brandenburg gate at 50 feet being the highest. Marshals, dressed as warriors, fire amphibious tank gun blanks and let off exploding flares and smoke bombs over the heads of competitors as they crawl under a 70-metre section of barbed wire. Until 2000, some runners took part in the event carrying heavy wooden crucifixes. Entry fees start at £75 and increase on fixed dates as one gets nearer to
1092-444: The London Marathon. The breakdown of places is not publicly shared by the organisation. As of 2023, the available places are generally considered to be distributed approximately as follows: As well as a small number of places distributed directly to overseas ballot, tour operators and those deferred from previous editions. The majority of runners at the London Marathon do so using a Charity Place. To obtain this, they commit to raising
SECTION 20
#17327800809551144-876: The River Thames, the route heads east through Charlton . The three courses converge after 4.5 km (2.8 miles) in Woolwich , close to the Royal Artillery Barracks . As the runners reach the 10 km mark (6.2-mile), they pass by the Old Royal Naval College and head towards Cutty Sark drydocked in Greenwich . Heading next into Deptford and Surrey Quays / Rotherhithe in the Docklands , and out towards Bermondsey , competitors race along Jamaica Road before reaching
1196-513: The Tough Guy, Billy Wilson was already known as a high-profile organizer of road running races and a sometimes eccentric participant, most notably for taking part in the first London Marathon in 1981 dressed as a pantomime horse to raise funds for his Tettenhall Horse Sanctuary , which is the principal beneficiary of the Tough Guy event. A former Grenadier Guards trained soldier in the British Army, Wilson's earliest sporting exploits were as
1248-678: The United States, set the men's world record in 2:05:38 in 2002. The following year, British runner Paula Radcliffe set the women's world record in 2:15:25 (later briefly downgraded to "world best" by the IAAF as it was achieved in a mixed race, but restored to the title of "world Record" shortly thereafter); in 2017 Mary Keitany of Kenya set a world record of 2:17:01 for an all-women's marathon. Previous women's world records were set in 1983 and 1985 by Grete Waitz and Ingrid Kristiansen respectively, both of Norway. The current men's course record
1300-680: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 915763751 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:48:01 GMT London Marathon The London Marathon (also known as the TCS London Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in London , England. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it
1352-474: The case of injury. First aid is provided by doctors, paramedics, nurses, and 60 first aiders from St. John Ambulance . After a year's hiatus following the 2017 race, with three events held during this period on the traditional Tough Guy course under the "Mr Mouse Events" name (albeit with altered routes and distances), the winter "Mudathon" in February 2018 was filmed and later broadcast on BBC Two as part of
1404-446: The corporation's Sports Relief scheduling; it followed four celebrities on their journey to train and attempt to complete the "Tough Guy" course. Tough Guy HQ later announced it would be returning to its roots and has since restarted its Nettle Warrior and Tough Guy Original races under the original format and names, which it continues to hold annually. In 2000, one competitor, Michael Green , from Leicestershire, collapsed midway through
1456-527: The course and they tell their individual story. The film was first aired on BBC1 on 20 February 2010 as part of the "My Life" series and was produced by Indus Films, in conjunction with Film Tank On 13 October 2010 Bam's World Domination showcased Bam Margera , Ryan Dunn , and skateboarder Tim O’Connor doing the Competition. During the hiatus of 2017–2018, the Mr Mouse Events "Mudathon"
1508-466: The course involves risking barbed wire, cuts, scrapes, burns, dehydration , hypothermia , acrophobia , claustrophobia , electric shocks , sprains , twists, joint dislocation and broken bones . Although the course is adjusted each year, its features have included a 40-foot (12.2 metres) crawl through flooded tunnels, balancing planks across a fire pit, and a half-mile wade through chest-deep muddy water. There are many high timber towers to climb with
1560-466: The event itself, is called "Main Titles to The Trap", composed by Ron Goodwin for the film The Trap . There are three separate groups of starters: Elite Women, Wheelchair (Men and Women), and Elite Men followed by Mass Race. The marathon is run over a largely flat course around the River Thames , and spans 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi). The route has markers at one mile intervals. Although
1612-496: The event, so the later one signs up for the event, the more one pays. Entrants have to be 16 or older. The event regularly attracts fields of up to 5,000 competitors, many from the United States , France , Germany and various countries around the world. Before taking part, entrants must sign a "death warrant", which acknowledges the many risks and dangers, and which the organizers claim absolves them of any legal liability in
Tough Guy Competition - Misplaced Pages Continue
1664-459: The final leg of the race, competitors pass The Tower of London on Tower Hill. In the penultimate mile along The Embankment , the London Eye comes into view, before the athletes turn right into Birdcage Walk to complete the final 352 m (385 yards), catching the sights of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace , and finishing in The Mall alongside St. James's Palace . This final section of
1716-545: The half-way point as they cross Tower Bridge . Running east again along The Highway through Wapping , competitors head up towards Limehouse and into Mudchute in the Isle of Dogs via Westferry Road, before heading into Canary Wharf . As the route leads away from Canary Wharf into Poplar , competitors run west down Poplar High Street back towards Limehouse and on through Commercial Road . They then move back onto The Highway, onto Lower and Upper Thames Streets. Heading into
1768-545: The marathon from 2010, after signing a five-year £17m sponsorship deal in 2008. In April 2013, the London Marathon renewed its sponsorship deal with Virgin Money for a further five years and the race changed its name to the Virgin Money London Marathon. In 2021 it was announced that Indian consultancy company Tata Consultancy Services would take over sponsorship of the London Marathon from 2022. A number of other companies and organisations also use
1820-480: The marathon wearing a deep sea diving suit that weighed a total of 110 lb (50 kg), with each shoe weighing 24 lb (11 kg); he also set a record for the slowest London Marathon time. On 19 April 2003, former boxer Michael Watson , who had been told he would never be able to walk again after a fight with Chris Eubank , made headlines by finishing the marathon in six days. In 2006, Sir Steve Redgrave (winner of five consecutive Olympic gold medals) set
1872-505: The most trouble-stricken cities in the world, 11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a million black, white and yellow people, laughed, cheered and suffered during the greatest folk festival the world has seen. The first London Marathon was held on 29 March 1981, more than 20,000 applied to run. 6,747 were accepted and 6,255 crossed the finish line on Constitution Hill. The Marathon's popularity has steadily grown since then. As at 2009, 746,635 people have completed
1924-425: The race and later died in hospital, reportedly of a massive heart attack brought on by extreme hypothermia. Green was 44 years old. According to Wilson, this was the first fatality in 15 years. Other injuries suffered in the event are common. Local newspaper reports suggested that among the competitors in the 2009 event, one suffered a broken neck, another broken pelvis, yet another broken pubic bone while there were
1976-626: The race in full since 1984. Originally hosted out-of-vision by David Coleman , more recently the main presenters on BBC One have been Sue Barker , Jonathan Edwards and Gabby Logan . The highlight presenters on BBC Two have been Jonathan Edwards (2007–12), Sonali Shah (2013), and Helen Skelton (2014–15). The commentators for the Marathon on the BBC were David Coleman, Ron Pickering, Brendan Foster, Paul Dickinson, Steve Cram, Andrew Cotter, Stuart Storey, Paula Radcliffe, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Liz McColgan, and Rob Walker. The theme tune used by
2028-520: The race publicity (athlete advice, timing charts and so on) is mile-oriented, the individual timing splits that are available to competitors after the event are kilometre-oriented. The course begins at three separate points: the 'red start' in southern Greenwich Park on Charlton Way, the 'green start' in St John's Park, and the 'blue start' on Shooter's Hill Road. From these points around Blackheath at 35 m (115 ft) above sea level, south of
2080-561: The race since its inception. In 2010, 36,549 people crossed the line, the biggest field since the race began. The first wheelchair marathon race was held in 1983 and the event was credited with reducing the stigma surrounding disabled athletes. In 2013 the IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup was held within the London Marathon featuring athletes of both genders in the T42–T46 and T11–T13 categories. In August 2013 it
2132-545: The race, including amendments to the course in 2005 which saw the cobbled section by the Tower of London replaced with a flat stretch along the Highway. Dan Tunstall Pedoe was the medical director of the London Marathon for 25 years between the first one in 1981 until 2005. In 2003, Pedoe was shadowed by Sanjay Sharma from St George's Hospital (University of London) who took over the role in its entirety in 2006. Medical cover
Tough Guy Competition - Misplaced Pages Continue
2184-494: The record of 578,000 previously set by the 2024 ballot. The Good-for-Age entry route is the entry route for the majority of "competitive" runners. The aim of the good-for-age category is to provide places for those who achieve a sufficiently fast age-graded time. Due to a greater number of men meeting the Good-for-age criteria, places were capped at 3,000 entries for each gender to ensure an even gender split. This has led to
2236-623: The reduction in the Good for Age mens times in recent years. There is a 10% difference in the marathon World Record pace, but a 26% difference in the London Marathon Good for Age entry times. London Marathon is now harder to enter for men than Boston. The Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon is the sister of The London Marathon. The course is the last 3 mi (4.8 km) of the London Marathon and
2288-529: The route formed part of the 2012 Olympic Marathon Course . Since the first marathon, the course has undergone very few route changes. In the first race, the course took a diversion around Southwark Park before re-joining Jamaica Road on the way to Tower Bridge and was routed through St Katherine Docks past the Tower Hotel, en route to the Tower of London and the cobblestoned stretch of road that in later years
2340-457: The route was diverted to avoid St Katherine Docks and the cobblestoned area near the Tower of London . In 2008, a suspected gas leak at a pub in Wapping diverted the course, but in 2009 the race followed the same path as in 2007. Since 2012 mile 21 has become a significant cheer zone with Run Dem Crew transforming the stretch of Commercial Road outside the former Limehouse Town Hall into
2392-481: The traditional London Marathon course. London is one of the top six world marathons that form the World Marathon Majors competition with a million prize purse. The inaugural marathon had 7,741 entrants, 6,255 of whom completed the race. The first Men's Elite Race in 1981 was tied between American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen , who crossed the finish line holding hands in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 48 seconds. The first Women's Elite Race, also in 1981,
2444-603: The world's top level marathon races. The London Marathon has seen the marathon world record broken on seven occasions: Khalid Khannouchi broke the men's record in 2002, while women's records have been broken by Grete Waitz (1983), Ingrid Kristiansen (1985), Paula Radcliffe (2002, 2003, 2005) and Mary Jepkosgei Keitany (2017). The current elite course records are held by Kelvin Kiptum (2:01:25 in 2023) and Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25 in 2003). The current wheelchair course records are held by Marcel Hug (1:23:44 in 2023) and Catherine Debrunner (1:38:24 in 2022). The race often has
2496-630: Was announced that the event would be staged in London until 2017 and feature athletes in the T11-T12, T13, T42-T44, T43, T45-46, T51-52 and the T53-54 class. For many years the London and Polytechnic Marathons competed with each other until, in 1996, the latter folded in due to the popularity of the former. Following the Boston Marathon bombing , organisers of the 2013 London Marathon undertook
2548-453: Was carpeted, to help runners prevent injury on the uneven surface. In 1982, the finishing post was moved from Constitution Hill to Westminster Bridge due to construction works. It remained there for twelve years before moving to its present location at The Mall. In 2005, the route around the Isle of Dogs between 22 and 34 kilometres (14 and 21 mi) was switched from a clockwise to an anti-clockwise direction, and at 35 km (22 miles)
2600-430: Was filmed and broadcast on BBC Two as part of the corporation's Sports Relief scheduling. Four celebrities - Les Dennis, Tameka Empson, Susannah Constantine and Miles Jupp - were followed across a ten-week period in which they attempted to train themselves "back to fitness", culminating in an attempt to complete the "Tough Guy" obstacle course in February 2018. Perton Too Many Requests If you report this error to
2652-539: Was founded in 1981 by Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher and athlete John Disley . Shortly after completing the New York City Marathon in November 1979 Brasher wrote an article for The Observer newspaper which began: To believe this story you must believe that the human race be one joyous family, working together, laughing together, achieving the impossible. Last Sunday, in one of
SECTION 50
#17327800809552704-721: Was won by Briton Joyce Smith in 2:29:57. In 1983, the first wheelchair races took place. Organized by the British Sports Association for the Disabled (BASD), 19 people competed and 17 finished. Gordon Perry of the United Kingdom won the Men's Wheelchair Race, coming in at 3:20:07, and Denise Smith , also of the UK, won the Women's Wheelchair Race in 4:29:03. World records for marathon running have been set several times. Khalid Khannouchi , representing
#954045