How many people run the London Marathon?
Last year 49,272 runners started the race with 43,965 finishing it (that’s 5,307 people who did not complete the course).
London Marathon prize money
This year for the first time equal prize money will be offered for the wheelchair and able-bodied races. The winner of each elite race will take home £43,500.
London Marathon event director Hugh Brasher said: “We have made great strides in recent years towards our ambition to make the London Marathon the most diverse and equitable marathon in the world and this is another important step towards achieving that goal.”
What TV channel is the London Marathon on?
The London Marathon will be shown on BBC as well as BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. This year’s broadcast will start at 8.30am on BBC One and then move to BBC Two at 2pm until 3pm. Highlights will be shown on BBC Two at 6pm.
The BBC iPlayer will be showing footage from 11.30am to 6pm. There will also be two live streams from Tower Bridge (11.30am-2.30pm) and the finish line (1pm-6pm) on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport app.
BBC commentators will be Andrew Cotter, Steve Cram, Paula Radcliffe and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, with Steve Brown, JJ Chalmers and Jeanette Kwakye reporting from the route.
The production involves about 200 people, 40 cameras and half a dozen motorbikes. Multiple helicopters are used to help broadcast the elite races.
Stars to look out for in this year’s London Marathon
Celebrities such as comedian Romesh Ranganathan, musician Tom Grennan and actor Phil Dunster will make their London Marathon debuts on Sunday. They will be joined by Birmingham City interim manager Gary Rowett, EastEnders stars Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick and Sky Sports’ Natalie Pinkham.
Returning participants include: James Cracknell, Mark Wright, Adele Roberts, Louise Minchin and Chris Robshaw.
