FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Quarter of a Billion Pounds Raised for Charity by
London Marathon Runners in the Last Five Years
When Virgin was announced as the title sponsor of the London Marathon in
2010, the ambition was to work together to reach a charity fundraising
target of £1/4 billion in five years. We are now pleased to announce that
this figure has been broken, with the total raised for charity in the five
years of Virgin Money sponsorship now standing at £261.4 million.
Individual runners in the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon set yet another
record figure for charity fundraising for good causes by generating £53.2
million. The average amount raised by every London Marathon Golden Bond
charity runner was £2,407.
It is the eighth consecutive year that London Marathon entrants have broken
the Guinness World Record for the largest annual single-day charity
fundraising event worldwide.
These figures bring the total raised for hundreds of charitable causes
since the race began in 1981 to more than £716 million.
There were 35,868 London Marathon finishers on Sunday 13 April 2014, with
the number of runners raising money for charity increasing by two per cent
on 2013, with 77 per cent of these runners raising money for good causes.
The total who have completed the race, since it started 34 years ago now
stands at 924,741 runners.
Virgin Money London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher said: "We are
extremely pleased to reach the quarter of a billion pound figure in only
five years with our partnership with Virgin Money, and especially delighted
that this year's amazing London Marathon runners have, once again, raised a
record-breaking amount of money for charity.
Our official charity of the year, Anthony Nolan raised over £1.3 million,
smashing their own target of £1.1 million. It was a pleasure to support
this exciting and lifesaving charity in its fortieth anniversary year, and
to welcome its biggest team of runners yet. Anthony Nolan's passionate
supporters who lined the streets of London carried people around the route,
and summed up the uplifting spirit of marathon day".
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson said: "When Virgin first got involved
with the London Marathon we set the bar high and challenged runners to not
only complete their 26 miles, but within five years also help raise £¼
billion for good causes. Today's news shows that not only have we all risen
to that challenge, but during the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon we
smashed right through it.
"Lots of charity runners raise their money through Virgin Money Giving, our
not-for-profit fundraising website. Over £77m has been raised to date by
Marathon fundraisers using Virgin Money Giving, and long may they continue
to do so."
The last five, of eight record years of charity fundraising:
2010 £50.6 million
2011 £51.8 million
2012 £52.8 million
2013 £53.0 million
2014 £53.2 million
The 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon is on Sunday 26 April 2015,
and the official charity will be Cancer Research UK.
http://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/charity/official-charity
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