Press Release - London Marathon - 9/12/12

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

           Another Record Charity Haul by London Marathon Runners

Runners in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon set yet another record figure 
for charity fund raising with £52.8 million being raised for good causes at 
this year's race.

It is the sixth consecutive year that London Marathon entrants have broken 
the Guinness World Record for charity fund raising at a single annual event 
worldwide and brings the total raised for hundreds of charitable causes 
since the race began in 1981 to £610.7 million.

There were a record 36,705 London Marathon finishers on Sunday 22 April 
2012, with 74% of these runners raising money for good causes and bringing 
the total to 854,595 runners who have now completed the race, since it 
started 31 years ago.

"We are extremely pleased to announce another amazing record amount of 
money raised for charities by London Marathon runners," said Virgin London 
Marathon race director Hugh Brasher.

"This is an especially impressive total and the fact that this figure 
increased again for the sixth year in a row, despite the well publicised 
economic woes, shows just how committed our runners are to raising funds 
for good causes".

Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group said "We are really pleased to 
confirm that we are well on the way to achieving the quarter of a billion 
pounds fundraising target that we set at the beginning of our sponsorship 
with the London Marathon".

Five record years of charity fund raising:

2007 £46.5 million 
2008 £46.7 million 
2009 £47.2 million 
2010 £50.6 million 
2011 £51.8 million 
2012 £52.8 million 

The 2013 Virgin London Marathon is on Sunday 21 April 2013, and the 
official charities will be Age UK and YouthNet - www.runforit.org.uk

                                    ###