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The 40th Race to be 'a beacon of light', says Brasher
The 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon can be 'a beacon of light in the
darkness' of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to event director Hugh
Brasher just days ahead of The 40th Race, set to be run on a closed-off,
biosecure course in central London on Sunday 4 October.
The Virgin Money London Marathon is only the second Abbott World Marathon
Majors event to be staged this year, following the elite-only Tokyo
Marathon in March and the cancellation of races in Boston, Berlin, Chicago
and New York City.
First held in 1981, this year's London race will be like no other in the
event's history, according to Brasher, with four elite able-bodied and
wheelchair races taking place on the new looped course comprising 19.6 laps
of St James's Park, while 45,000 runners around the globe aim to complete
26.2 miles during a 24-hour period from midnight to midnight on Sunday.
"We are delighted and incredibly proud to be able to hold this event during
a worldwide pandemic," said Brasher. "We have the world's greatest athletes
plus 45,000 other runners doing it their way from their homes, wherever
they are.
"It will be a 40th race that lives long in the memory for being different,
but also for being an inspirational event in these difficult times.
"We hope we can be a beacon of light in the darkness, that in our way we
can bring people together, even while people have to run apart. We all need
something to inspire us, to give us hope for the future. And we are trying
to give people something to inspire them, for their mental and physical
health.
"We can't have 750,000 spectators around the course as we usually do, but
we'll have eight hours, 20 minutes of BBC coverage showing the greatest
men's field, the greatest women and the greatest wheelchair racers, plus
many amazing stories of everyday people running for amazing causes.
"This is about trying to show we can still work together to put on an event
in these times, that we can still come together even though we are forced
to be apart."
The 2020 elite fields include most of the runners who had signed up to
compete on 26 April before its pandemic-enforced postponement – including
the two fastest marathon men of all time, Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa
Bekele, plus women's world record breaker Brigid Kosgei, and legendary
wheelchair racers David Weir and Manuela Schär.
With a flat, super-fast course, expertly paced races and more frequent
drinks and information points for the athletes, Brasher believes
record-breaking performances could well be on the cards, despite the
predicted Race Day rain.
"Heavy rain is not ideal conditions for world records," said Brasher, who
admitted he was doing 'the opposite of a rain dance' ahead of the weekend.
"We can't control the weather, but what we do have is great athletes in
great shape. They have been training in unique conditions because of the
Covid restrictions and that means this is probably the most difficult
marathon to predict.
"But whatever the conditions, we believe there will be some incredible
racing, and it could be incredibly quick.
"And they couldn't be in a more iconic location," he added, "starting and
finishing on The Mall and running in front of Buckingham Palace in the
heart of this great city."
One athlete who won't be on the Start Line is Degitu Azimeraw, last year's
Amsterdam Marathon champion, who tested positive for Covid-19 while still
at home in Ethiopia.
All elite racers were tested before leaving home for their secret,
Covid-safe hotel location outside London, and again on arrival at the hotel
on Monday to enter the event's 'biosecure bubble'.
Azimeraw is the only athlete to test positive so far, while the coach of
2018 London marathon runner-up, Shura Kitata, also remained in Ethiopia
following a positive result.
Among the other Covid safety measures in what Brasher described as the
event's 'new regime' is innovative 'bump technology' – worn by every
athlete, official and staff member inside the bubble – that ensures social
distancing via audible and visible warnings, and can retrospectively track
each person's contacts in the event of a positive test.
"We've learned all we can from other sports such as Formula 1 and test
cricket about biosecure bubbles and have done everything we can to protect
the athletes' safety," said Brasher. "This is part of the new world we're
living in.
"In the end, we are just delighted to be able to hold our 40th event this
year and we hope the inspiration will shine through on Sunday."
2020 Virgin Money London Marathon Elite Race Fields
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