Queen will set off London Marathon runners
THE QUEEN is to press the start button on the London Marathon for the first time, 110 years after her grandmother set runners off on the inaugural 26.2 mile race at the Olympics.
She will press the start button from a podium in the grounds of Windsor Castle on April 22, a year after her grandchildren the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry harnessed the race to benefit Heads Together, the mental health charity.
Her actions will be relayed live to the runners at the starting lines in Greenwich and Blackheath.
Sir John Spurling, chairman of the organisers, said: “We are deeply honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has accepted the invitation to start the 2018 London Marathon, especially as this will happen 110 years after the 1908 Olympic Marathon was started at Windsor Castle by the then Princess Mary, grandmother to The Queen.”
The wife of the future George V set runners off on the showpiece finale of the 1908 London Olympics, the first marathon to be extended from 26 miles to the distance of 26 miles 385 yards.
It has been suggested that the extra yards were included either to ensure the race finished in front of the Royal Box at the White City stadium, or so it could be started in front of the royal nursery at Windsor.
In more modern times, Diana, Princess of Wales, started the London Marathon in 1988, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry stepping up last year for their special charity tie-in.
Then, the young members of the Royal family donned bright blue headbands to show their support to marathon runners, who included Bryony Gordon, The Daily Telegraph columnist. Together, they used the global publicity of the marathon as a springboard to raise awareness of mental health issues under the banner of Heads Together.
The Queen’s support this year will be another landmark moment for the marathon, spurring on 40,000 runners from the 10am Sunday start.
She will have celebrated her 92nd birthday the day before, with a concert in her honour at the Royal Albert Hall featuring Sir Tom Jones and the BBC Concert Orchestra.