by Stuart WeirI must say, I love the folks at London Marathon Events. As the “finest marathon in the world” ( I believe that is a quote from Sir David Bedford), London leads by example. The sponsorship of 30 of the finest UK distance runners leads by example. The members of the Abbott World Marathon Majors all do some program to support athletes in their countries. I believe that London has been at the top of the food chain in terms of depth of support.
Thanks to our European editor, Stuart Weir, who edited the release and added a few deep thoughts in between his walking football matches and glasses of chardonnay. I must say, one of the things that have been quite difficult about the pandemic is not seeing my friends across the pond and getting some proper Indian food. That was some of the highlights each year in visiting the London marathon.
Verity Ockenden, photo by British Athletics
Alex Bell, photo by British Athletics
Lizzie Bird, photo by British Athletics
London Marathon Events offers funding 30 of the UK’s best endurance runners
London Marathon Events (LME) has announced it will offer funding to 30 of the UK’s best endurance runners for 2022 as part of its continued commitment to supporting distance running in this country. LME has proved to be a good source of funding to athletes who do not quite meet the criteria for funding from British Athletics.
The initiative provides direct support to athletes who sit just outside British Athletics’ funding programmes. Now in its fourth year, the scheme has been an incredible success with 11 of the 30 athletes funded last year making Team GB at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Mark Pearce, photo by British Athletics
Four of those athletes – Alex Bell, Lizzie Bird, Jake Heyward and Marc Scott – have since been promoted to the British Athletics World Class Programme. This brings the number of athletes moving up from LME to the British Athletics World Class Programme to 10 over the full duration of the programme, demonstrating it is successfully providing a pathway for the country’s best endurance athletes.
Amy-Eloise Markovc, who is now in her fourth year of LME funding, qualified for her first Olympics running the 5000m. She also won the European Indoor Championships 3000m title in 2021.
Markovc said: “London Marathon Events’ funding was hugely helpful in reducing my financial stress last year and allowed me to fully focus on my preparations for Tokyo. 2022 is a year packed with championships so I’m thankful that LME is continuing to support me in reaching my full potential.”
Among the athletes offered funding for 2022 are Emile Cairess, who equalled Sir Mo Farah’s UK 10K record of 27 minutes, 44 seconds in Valencia in January, and Jess Piasecki, who ran the third-fastest half marathon time by a British woman in history last month (67:20).
New names on the list for 2022 include Patrick Dever, who won the NCAA 10000m title and British 5000m championships last year, Samantha Harrison and Jack Rowe, both runners-up at The Big Half in 2021, and Rose Harvey and Phil Sesemann who had a breakthrough run at the 2021 London Marathon.
Rowe, who has ambitions to win both the 5000m and 10000m titles at the British Championships this year, said: “Being given London Marathon Events’ funding is going to be huge for me this season. The support will help me to train at the highest level going into summer with three world-class championships to aim for.”
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of London Marathon Events, said: “We are incredibly proud to have supported 11 athletes who competed in Tokyo last summer. That success clearly demonstrated the pathway we have to create through this direct athlete funding programme is working.
“We will continue to do all we can to help support British endurance running and wish all those athletes on our funding programme the very best as we look forward to another incredibly exciting year of athletics.”.
The Full list of athletes offered funding support by LME for 2022 is:
- Mo Aadan (Thames Valley Harriers)
- Charlotte Arter (Cardiff AAC)
- Sam Atkin (Lincoln Wellington)
- Andrew Butchart (Central AC)
- Emile Cairess (Leeds City AC)
- Luke Caldwell (Dorking & Mole Valley)
- Natasha Cockram (Micky Morris Racing Club)
- Jamaine Coleman (Preston AC)
- Ben Connor (Derby AC)
- Jonathan Davies (Reading AC)
- Stephanie Davis (Clapham Chasers)
- Patrick Dever (Preston AC)
- Samantha Harrison (Charnwood AC)
- Rose Harvey (Clapham Chasers)
- Sarah Inglis (Lothian Running Club)
- Kristian Jones (Swansea Harriers)
- Matt Leach (Bedford & County AC)
- Amy-Eloise Markovc (Wakefield District Harriers)
- Jonny Mellor (Liverpool Harriers)
- Tom Mortimer (Stroud AC)
- Jennifer Nesbitt (Cardiff AAC)
- Phil Norman (Woodford Green)
- Verity Ockenden (Swansea Harriers)
- Lily Partridge (Birchfield Harriers)
- Mark Pearce (Shaftesbury Barnet)
- Jess Piasecki (Stockport Harriers)
- Jack Rowe (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC)
- Zak Seddon (Bracknell AC)
- Phil Sesemann (Leeds City AC)
- Chris Thompson (Aldershot, Farnham & District AC)
