by Alfonz Juck
Kipchoge and Kipsang, April 2015, VLM, photo by PhotoRun.net
Record numbers for London Marathon
LONDON (GBR): Record numbers are expected to start the 36th 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday after nearly 40 000 registered for the race over the last four days. When registration desks at the London Marathon Expo at ExCeL London closed at 17:00 today, a total of 39,698 accepted applicants had picked up their running numbers and Ipico Sports Timing tag. Last year record of starters 38 200 should be broken. Another major milestone in the history of the event is planned when its one millionth finisher crosses the Finish Line in The Mall some time tomorrow afternoon. Despite the expected chilly winds, around 38,700 should finish the race tomorrow, easily beating the record 37,740 who crossed the line in 2015. Just a few hours earlier, the London Marathon will take its first ever step into outer space when British astronaut Tim Peake sets the runners on their way from Blackheath before he begins his own marathon mission, running the Digital Virgin Money London Marathon on a treadmill on board the International Space Station some 400km above the Earth. The event will have a royal flavour too when HRH Prince Harry, Patron of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, presents trophies to the top three elites and IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup racers. From organizers release.
