First London Landmarks Half Marathon Breaks £4m target & two Guinness World Records

The first London Landmarks Half Marathon, organised by Tommy's, took place yesterday (25 March), beating its £4m fundraising target and breaking two Guinness World Records. The London Landmarks Half Marathon saw close to 10,000 participants, beginning on Pall Mall and finishing on Whitehall near Downing Street, with over 40,000 spectators on the 13.1 mile route, and celebrity support including Amanda Holden and Jenni Falconer. Breaking the record for Fastest Father and Son Combined Time in a Half Marathon were Ben Green and his father Graham Green, who crossed the line in 1 hour 10 minutes and 57 seconds and 1 hour 13 minutes and 50 seconds respectively to win the event. Pardip Minhas from Hayes also set a new Guinness World Record, for Fastest Half Marathon in a Straitjacket with his run of 1 hour 43 minutes and 43 seconds. The event took in some of London’s most iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Gherkin, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye and also promoted some hidden highlights with an emphasis on historical and cultural facts and locations such as the creator of the Bowler Hat, Dr Johnson’s house, Postman's Park, the Bow Bells and hidden Roman Baths. The event was created by Tommy’s to benefit more than 100 other charities, with all proceeds going to good causes including Prostate Cancer UK, Make-A-Wish UK, Cancer Research UK and Mind. A social and community engagement programme was an important part of the event delivery, with an emphasis on engaging with young people from London, while at least 200 volunteers helped deliver the event, of which 120 were young people from London. Roles included distributing medals and spectator information. There was also a specific focus on working with schools with LLHM Event Ambassadors chosen and trained to help visitors to understand more about London and the things they can see and visit, helping them learn about history, culture, speaking to new people and team work in the process. Lia Bowman, London Landmarks Half Marathon Race Director, said: "The first London Landmarks Half Marathon has been a huge success, I can’t thank everyone enough for their support. We’ve exceeded our fundraising target of £4,000,00 and expect more donations over the coming weeks. The participants loved the route we created for them and all the interesting points all the way around, the spectators enjoyed the activations and entertainment and the whole of central London seemed to have a buzz about it." The 2019 event is already open for pre-registration. Main image: John Walton/PA Wire

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