When glory beckons London
6
MINS READ
Industry
Highlights
- Around 50,000 runners will hit the streets of London on April 23 for the 2023 TCS London Marathon.
- Elite runners and wheelchair racers from around the world will join amateurs and celebrities across the course.
- The virtual marathon will be held for the fourth consecutive year, allowing runners to participate remotely from anywhere in the world.
In this article
An epic run
On April 23, 2023, the sporting world’s focus will shift to the British capital for the 42nd TCS London Marathon 2023. More than 40,000 runners will gather at the starting line in Blackheath. The historic 26.2-mile route, which culminates at The Mall, will take runners past some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including The Cutty Sark, Buckingham Palace, and Tower Bridge.
In a precursor to the marathon, the TCS London Marathon Running Show will be held from Wednesday, April 19 to Saturday, April 22 at ExCeL London. And on April 22, 2023, the TCS Mini London Marathon, will once again feature a 1-mile and 2.6 km mass participation event for the youngsters.
TCS London Marathon 2022
Rewind to TCS London Marathon 2022
Many milestones
The TCS London Marathon has come a long way since the inaugural race in 1981. More than a million people have crossed the finish line since then, and over £1 billion has been raised for charity.
Along the way have been several inspiring feats from athletes, including breaking world records as many as six times. The men’s course record was set in 2019 by Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, a four-time winner of the event and arguably the greatest marathon runner of all time. Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe still holds the women’s course record, which she set in 2003. Marcel Hug set the men’s course record in the wheelchair race in 2022, while Catherine Debrunner broke the women’s record.
Going virtual
TCS first developed the TCS London Marathon Official App in 2016. Following the pandemic in 2020, the app was refashioned to support the first virtually held marathon. It brought together 38,000 people from across the globe as they competed remotely and got the marathon a Guinness World Records title for ‘Most users to run a remote marathon in 24 hours’. The 2022 edition of the TCS London Marathon app (downloaded 400,000 times) – and the marathon itself – was no different. Every participant, virtual or in-person, was in the running (quite literally!) for a medal.
The app re-energized and inspired virtual participants with different soundtracks and the Belief Booster feature. The latter let participants’ families and friends in on the excitement, too, allowing them to send out messages of encouragement. Several of these were flashed on giant screens at the finish line.
Running becomes the cause
TCS’ innovation in the digital space is making the London marathon even more accessible and inclusive, uniting communities, amplifying fundraising, and inspiring more people to stay active.
We joined forces with City Year, a charity dedicated to reducing education inequality in some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, the 2022 edition of the TCS Mini London Marathon raised funds to help the charity continue its work. Fundraisers were held in schools across the UK between September 26 and October 21. As part of a unique initiative, TCS rewarded every child who finished the event by offering £10 to their schools to help enhance PE or IT equipment.
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