Watch the 5 greatest London Marathon finishes in history
Here’s our selection of the best finish-line moments from the London Marathon.
In its 40-year history, the London Marathon has had some truly incredible finishes. There have been moments of selfless heroism, lung-busting sprint finishes, world records and people who make the process of running 26.2 miles seem effortless (here’s to you, Eliud Kipchoge). There will undoubtedly be more magic moments at the next London Marathon, but until then, here’s our selection of five of the best so far…
Inge Simonsen and Dick Beardsley (1981)
At the first ever London Marathon, Norwegian Inge Simonsen and Dick Beardsley personified the spirt of the race by finishing hand in hand. In 2015, to mark the 35th anniversary of the race, runners were encouraged to do the same.
Paula Radcliffe (2003)
One of the greatest marathons by one of its greatest practitioners. Paula Radcliffe’s record-breaking run in 2005 was a marathon-running masterclass. Her time of 2:15:25 stood as the female world record for 16 years, until Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei ran 2:14:04 at the Chicago Marathon in 2019.
Matthew Rees and David Wyeth (2017)
When Matthew Rees saw David Wyeth in trouble on the home straight, he forgot about his own finish time and instead helped his fellow runner to the finish. In doing so, he captured the spirt of ‘the people’s race’.
Eliud Kipchoge (2019)
Another commanding victory from the Kenyan great. In 2019, he set a course record of 2:02:37, the second-fastest marathon in history. Can he go even faster in autumn?
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