FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Another Record Charity Haul by London Marathon Runners

Runners in the 2012 Virgin London Marathon set yet another record figure
for charity fund raising with £52.8 million being raised for good causes at
this year's race.

It is the sixth consecutive year that London Marathon entrants have broken
the Guinness World Record for charity fund raising at a single annual event
worldwide and brings the total raised for hundreds of charitable causes
since the race began in 1981 to £610.7 million.

There were a record 36,705 London Marathon finishers on Sunday 22 April
2012, with 74% of these runners raising money for good causes and bringing
the total to 854,595 runners who have now completed the race, since it
started 31 years ago.

"We are extremely pleased to announce another amazing record amount of
money raised for charities by London Marathon runners," said Virgin London
Marathon race director Hugh Brasher.

"This is an especially impressive total and the fact that this figure
increased again for the sixth year in a row, despite the well publicised
economic woes, shows just how committed our runners are to raising funds
for good causes".

Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group said "We are really pleased to
confirm that we are well on the way to achieving the quarter of a billion
pounds fundraising target that we set at the beginning of our sponsorship
with the London Marathon".

Five record years of charity fund raising:

2007 £46.5 million
2008 £46.7 million
2009 £47.2 million
2010 £50.6 million
2011 £51.8 million
2012 £52.8 million

The 2013 Virgin London Marathon is on Sunday 21 April 2013, and the
official charities will be Age UK and YouthNet - www.runforit.org.uk

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