FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympic Medallists to Start the 2014 London Marathon Races
Three of Britain's 2012 Olympic medallists will be the official starters of
the 2014 London Marathon on Sunday 13 April.
Rowers Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins will push the famous red button
at the 'blue start' on Shooters Hill to send some 36,000 runners and
wheelchair racers on their way in the Virgin Money London Marathon, while
diver Tom Daley will start the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon, a
three-mile race for young athletes aged 11-17.
Grainger and Watkins, who together won the women's double sculls gold at
the London 2012 Games, are both running the London Marathon themselves this
year, Grainger for International Inspiration, a charity set up after London
2012 to use sport to tackle social problems, and Watkins for Macmillan
Cancer Support.
Grainger shares, with swimmer Rebecca Adlington, the distinction of being
Britain's most decorated female Olympian. Before her celebrated London
gold, Grainger won three silver medals at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000,
Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, making her the only British sportswoman to
win medals at four consecutive Games. She is also a six-times world
champion.
After finishing her PhD in law last May, and writing her autobiography,
Dreams Can Come True, Grainger now faces what she calls "the scary
challenge" of running 26.2 miles:
"Having the opportunity to take part in the 2014 Virgin Money London
Marathon on behalf of International Inspiration is a privilege in itself,
but having been asked to start the race on its behalf is an honour.
"I can't wait to feel the energy of a 'home crowd' again as I take part in
one of the most iconic marathons in the world."
Watkins, who has two Olympic and four world rowing medals to her name, gave
birth to her first child, William, last September. She currently fits in
coaching and motivational speaking, studying for a PhD in mathematics, and
a little bit of rowing, around her childcare duties and marathon training.
She said: "I'm truly honoured and so excited to be asked to start the
Virgin Money London Marathon this year. I'm running as part of Team
Macmillan to help ensure that no one faces cancer alone so I can't wait to
pull on my green vest and do my bit."
Among the talented athletes who will set off from Blackheath in pursuit of
2014 London Marathon titles will be two more of Britain's 2012 gold
medallists – double Olympic champion Mo Farah, who is making his marathon
debut in a high-quality men's elite race, and David Weir, the quadruple
Paralympic champion who is going for a record seventh London Marathon
wheelchair victory.
In all 13 London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletics gold medallists will
be racing over the famous course from Blackheath to The Mall, including
five London 2012 marathon champions: Stephen Kiprotich (men), Tiki Gelana
(women), David Weir (men's T54 wheelchair), Shirley Reilly (women's T54
wheelchair) and Tito Sena (men's T46).
The elite will be followed by thousands of club athletes, fun runners,
charity fund-raisers, celebrities, politicians and fancy dress costume
wearers.
Britain's future champions will be on show in the Mini London Marathon, a
series of races over the last three miles of the course involving more than
2,000 of the country's best young runners and wheelchair racers.
Daley, still a teenager himself, will set them on their way from Old
Billingsgate. The 19-year-old won a bronze medal in the individual 10m
platform event at London 2012 having won the world title in 2009 and two
medals for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He now presents ITV's
celebrity diving show, Splash!.
"I'm really excited to be starting the Virgin Money Giving Mini London
Marathon on Sunday morning as part of my role as an adidas ambassador,"
said Daley. "It's great to see so many young people taking part in the
race. It's a great event to be a part of, and, who knows, maybe there's a
future Olympic champion in the field."
Daley will also present the Mini Marathon winners with their medals and
prizes while the first three finishers in the men's, women's, wheelchair
and IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup races will receive trophies from the
London Marathon chairman, Sir John Spurling, and Jayne-Anne Gadhia, chief
executive of Virgin Money.
Here is a list of all the official starters and presenters:
Official starters
Tom Daley London 2012 Olympic diving bronze medallist
From 08:40 Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon Old Billingsgate
For all Mini London Marathon start times go to:
http://www.minimarathon.co.uk/articles/race-start-times
Katherine Grainger & Anna Watkins London 2012 Olympic rowing champions
08:55 Elite Wheelchair Races Blue start
09:00 IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup Blue start
09:15 Elite Women Blue start
10:00 Elite Men Blue start
Sir Steve Bullock Mayor of the London Borough of Lewisham
10:00 Mass Race Green start
Councillor Angela Cornforth Mayor of the Royal London Borough of Greenwich
10:00 Mass Race Red start
Trophy presenters
10:30 Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon
Tom Daley
12:30 Virgin Money London Marathon
Jayne-Anne Gadhia CBE
Chief Executive, Virgin Money
Sir John Spurling KCVO OBE
Chairman, London Marathon Ltd
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