Prince Harry will present trophies to the winners of Sunday's Virgin London Marathon, a spokeswoman for the race has announced.
The prince, who became patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust this year, will hand trophies to the first three finishers in the men's and women's races, and those in the men's and women's wheelchair events.
He will also present prizes to winners in the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon. The event involves young runners aged 11 to 17 from across the country in races over the final three miles of the course.
Joint race director David Bedford said: "We are delighted to have Prince Harry with us to present awards to our runners this year. Prince Harry is a great supporter of the event and it is especially fitting to have a royal presence during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year."
Some of the runners will be started from Blackheath on their 26.2-mile journey through the capital by British Olympic medallist Dorothy Tyler. Tyler won silver medals in the high jump at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936, when she was only 16, and at the London Games in 1948, making her the only woman to to win Olympic athletics medals before and after the Second World War. She also competed at the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games.
"I still love athletics and look forward to starting the London Marathon," said the 92-year-old who lives in south London. "It's nice to still be involved even at my age."
She will set off elite women, elite men and wheelchair athletes from the blue start between 9am and 9.45am.
Mr Bedford added: "It's fantastic to have Dorothy with us to start the race. She is a true legend of the sport and it's fitting to have a great Olympian with us just three months before the London Olympic Games."
At 9.45am, Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham, will set off runners at the green start and Jim Gillman, Mayor of the London Borough of Greenwich, will start those at the red start. A total of 36,000 runners have registered for this year's marathon.
No comments:
Post a Comment