London Marathon raises £70,000 for Boston bombing victims
Runners at the London Marathon are expected to raise £70,000 for Boston bombing victims and their families at a “defiant” 2013 race.
The organisers of the race will donate £2 per finisher to The One Fund Boston, set up to raise money for the victims. They estimate around 35,500 people will cross the line.
At the start of the race runners, many of them wearing black ribbons for the Boston bombing victims, observed a 30-second silence.
Around 36,000 runners are taking part in the marathon, a week after three people were killed and many others injured in the blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
‘Inspirational’
Nick Gideonse from Boston, 52, a spectator at the race, told Channel 4 News: “I’m in town for a conference and to visit my cousin and by coincidence it’s the London marathon.
“The events on Monday touched close to home. I grew up knowing about the marathon and Patriots’ Day and in response I’m going to try and run a marathon one day.
“I’m delighted to be down here to watch but I haven’t told my wife and mum I’m here because they are scared in a way I’m not.”
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One spectator, Natalie, 32, from London, told Channel 4 News: “The reason I watch the marathon every year is because I find it really inspirational and it shows the determination of the human psyche so it’s great that the route is lined with people, as always, and the tragic events in Boston haven’t deterred spectators.”
Iain from Hitchin added: “I was coming anyway but after Monday’s events in Boston I made extra sure I came.”
Before the race, competitors picked up their runner numbers and kit bags at the ExCel convention centre, where they were also provided with black ribbons.
Wishing all involved in @londonmarathon a great day out, good luck if you’re raising money & @bostonmarathon our thoughts are with you today
— Boris Johnson (@MayorofLondon) April 21, 2013
At a message board inside the Excel, runners had posted messages including “we’ll be thinking of those in Boston” and “praying for Boston”.
Police presence
London’s Metropolitan Police has increased number of officers at the London event by 40 per cent, in order to reassure the public.
Police with sniffer dogs were out bins were removed from the length of the course as part of enhanced security.
“The enhancement to policing, which will see several hundred additional officers on the streets, is intended to provide visible reassurance to the participants and spectators alike,” the Metropolitan Police said on its website.
“Wishing all involved in London Marathon a great day out, good luck if you’re raising money and Boston Marathon our thoughts are with you today,” said Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, on Twitter.
Elite racing
Amongst the elite competitors on Sunday was David Weir (pictured, above), the gold-medal quadruple winner at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, who finished in fifth place in the wheelchair race.
Weir had been hoping to claim a record breaking seventh London marathon win, which would have seen him eclipse Baroness Tanni-Grey-Thompson’s six London marathon wins.
Australia’s Kurt Fearnley won the men’s wheelchair race in an unofficial time of one hour 31 minutes 29 seconds.
“I don’t like being on equal terms with anyone,” he had said before the race. “She is a fantastic athlete, but records are there to broken.”
Tatyana McFadden of the USA won the women’s wheelchair race, and broke the London marathon course record. Shelley Woods, the UK Paralympian, came in fourth having won the race last year.
Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women’s race, and Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede won the men’s race in an unofficial time of two hours six minutes three seconds.