FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spirit of London winners to open 2018 London Marathon Expo
16/04/2018
Spirit of London award winners Matt Rees and David Wyeth will open the 2018
Virgin Money London Marathon Expo at ExCeL London at 11:00 on Wednesday 18
April, where thousands of runners will register over the following four
days for this Sunday's 38th edition of the race.
The pair caught the imagination of the watching world 12 months ago when
Swansea Harrier Matt stopped on The Mall to help David reach the Finish
Line of last year's race. The footage of Matt with an arm around his
struggling fellow runner went viral on social media and millions of people
around the world were moved by the spirit of unity and camaraderie it
epitomised.
That moment encapsulated what Event Director Hugh Brasher has called “the
unique spirit of the London Marathon” and inspired the #SpiritofLondon
theme for this year's event.
The pair will be re-united on Wednesday morning when they will cut a ribbon
to officially open the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon Expo, signalling
the start of this year's event, and allowing the first eager runners into
the giant exhibition hall.
More than 40,000 are expected to pour through the ExCeL doors before
registration desks close at 17:00 on Saturday 21 April, while around 80,000
people in total will visit the London Marathon exhibition.
All entrants for the race on Sunday 22 April must register at the Expo to
receive their race number, goody bag and Ipico Sports Timing Tags. They
will then have a chance to visit numerous stalls, displays and exhibitions
dedicated to marathon running.
Visitors will be able to wander around the many exhibitors' stands and
retail outlets, including all the major running brands, charities and
international races, numerous athletics magazines, and a vast range of
health and fitness products and services.
Once their official opening duties are over, Matt and David will be
interviewed on Centre Stage where they will recall the moment that brought
them together last year and talk about the work David has since done with
medical experts to find out what went so wrong despite his meticulous
preparations.
He has now made that research available to all runners while the pair were
named earlier this year as the first winners of the London Marathon's new
Spirit of London award, which recognises up to 26 runners each year who
personify what makes the London Marathon unique.
The winners will receive a special commemorative coin at an awards ceremony
in May. The coin shows Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen, joint winners of
the first London Marathon who crossed the Finish Line hand-in-hand. The
coin is engraved with the words of one of the London Marathon's founding
pillars: 'To have fun and provide some happiness and a sense of achievement
in a troubled world.'
Throughout the four days of Expo, the Centre Stage will host numerous
talks, advice sessions and interviews with famous faces and elite
competitors, while showing moving film from the 38-year history of the
London Marathon.
Many of this year's celebrity runners will be appearing, including BBC
Radio 2 presenter Vassos Alexander, women's running pioneer Kathrine
Switzer, British men's marathon record holder Steve Jones and running
podcasters and comedians, Rob Deering and Paul Tonkinson.
Elite athletes scheduled to appear include race favourites Mary Keitany,
Eliud Kipchoge and David Weir, Ethiopian track legend Tirunesh Dibaba, and
British hopefuls Jonny Mellor and Tracy Barlow.
Jane Sutton, who's running for 2018 Charity of the Year Teenage Cancer
Trust, will be one of the many fundraisers to appear on stage, while there
will be plenty of last-minute advice from marathon coach Martin Yelling at
the Experts' Show. Pacing experts, nutritionists and leading sports
physiotherapists will also be on hand to offer all kinds of useful tips.
Visitors will also have a unique opportunity to see the Pietri Trophy
presented by Queen Alexandra to Italian runner Dorando Pietri after the
1908 Olympic Games Marathon, known as the first to be held over the classic
26-mile distance. The exhausted Pietri was the first to cross the line in
White City Stadium, in front of the Queen, but was subsequently
disqualified as he had been helped to the finish by two officials.
More details of the 2018 London Marathon Expo, including opening hours, can
be found on the Expo Info page of the official Virgin Money London Marathon
website.
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