Well it’s the London Marathon [of a sort] tomorrow. BBC2 at 7:00 for the ladies. 10:00 BBC1 for the men. The timetable:
- Elite Women’s Race – 7:15am.
- Elite Men’s Race – 10:15am.
- Wheelchair Races – 1:10pm.
45,000 people across the UK and 109 countries have signed up to take part in the virtual 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, running The 40th Race from home or anywhere in the world on the course of their choice between 00:00 and 23.59:59 BST on Sunday 4 October.
A huge response from primary schools across the UK means more than 150,000 children from more than 500 schools are signed up to become part of the world’s greatest marathon in the first virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon.
Children will be completing 2.6 miles between Monday 28 September and Friday 9 October.
The real race:
It starts in the mall and is 19 laps of [2.15k] around St James’ Park
The women’s race on Sunday features world record holder Brigid Kosgei, world champion Ruth Chepngetich and 2018 London champion Vivian Cheruiyot and the wheelchair fields are headed by the all-conquering Manuela Schar in the women’s race with Marcel Hug and David Weir, lining up for his 21st London Marathon, in the men’s race.
Running an Olympic qualifying time will be the only goal in mind for most of Britain’s elite marathon runners at the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday.
Yet the country’s leading man this year and favourite for the British title over the gruelling distance has a more ambitious aim in mind – to break the magic 2:10 barrier and put his name among a select band of Britons who have achieved the feat.
Jonny Mellor made a huge breakthrough at the pre-lockdown Seville Marathon this February, when he took more than three minutes from his personal best with 2:10:03, well inside the Tokyo standard of 2:11:30, making him the 17th-quickest Briton of all time.
That put Mellor in pole position to join the pre-selected Callum Hawkins on the GB marathon team at next year’s Games and he starts Sunday’s race knowing another good performance will virtually seal his ticket to Tokyo.
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia), the second fastest man in history over the marathon distance, has withdrawn from this Sunday’s Virgin Money London Marathon with a calf injury. So we wont be able to see the head to head between Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge !
As for those who prefer to run a marathon in 2021.
The 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon will take place on Sunday 3 October 2021.
Manchester marathon is Sunday 10th October 2021.
But interestingly Brighton are hoping for Sunday 18 April 2021
Races closer to home include [subject to Council/CoVid restrictions]:
11th Oct Tatton park 10k
18th Oct Run Cheshire 10k and Half Marathon – Cheshire 10k
1st Nov Run Heaton park half marathon
7th Nov Run Tatton park 10k
8th Nov Run tatton Half Marathon
22nd Nov We love our NHS 10k- Heaton Park
29th Nov Wilmslow festive 10k – fingers crossed; entries on hold at the moment