RECORD BREAKERS DAFNE SCHIPPERS AND DINA ASHER-SMITH SET TO GO HEAD TO HEAD AT GLASGOW

Current European record holder and 200 metre world champion Dafne Schippers will face Britain’s fastest ever woman, Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie), over 60m at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix on 20 February.

Each athlete has beaten the other once over 60m with both setting their personal bests at last year’s European Indoor Championships in Prague; 7.05 for Schippers and 7.08 for Asher-Smith, the first of five British records she set during 2015.

The Glasgow Grand Prix is the single best day of indoor athletics ever staged in Scotland and can now boast the top sprint head-to-head in European athletics.

The Indoor Grand Prix is consistently ranked as the number one indoor annual event in athletics and is moving to Glasgow for the very first time.

Asher-Smith confirmed that Glasgow will be integral to setting the stage for the rest of the year. She said: “2015 has been a special year for me and I couldn’t be more pleased. Now I’m looking ahead and I am absolutely thrilled to compete with Dafne in the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix. The atmosphere in the Emirates Arena will be amazing and a strong start to 2016 is going to be important for me in my build up to the Olympic Games in Rio.”

She continued: “I think I surprised myself when I realised I beat Kathy Cook’s 200 metre record time of 22.10 earlier this summer. Glasgow Grand Prix now gives me the perfect platform to build on my 2015.”

Dafne Schippers has been one of the stars of global athletics this year culminating in winning Gold in the 200 metres at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. Her 200m winning time of 21.63 seconds broke the 36 year old European record and gave her the title of third fastest woman in history over that distance.

She said: “Clocking 21.63 in the 200 metres in Beijing was a huge win for me. I kept thinking if I pull this off, there’s nothing stopping me from doing this again in Rio. I’m even more committed to putting on an amazing performance, especially in Glasgow where the atmosphere is always electric.”

The Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix will be the first major athletics event of an action packed 2016 season and a great opportunity to see world-class talent at such close quarters. With the Olympic Games in Rio just months away, this competition will be an exhilarating start as champion athletes prepare themselves for the summer.

Niels de Vos, Chief Executive of British Athletics said: “The Glasgow Grand Prix will be the best one-day indoor meeting anywhere in the world in 2016. Having Dafne Schippers facing Dina Asher-Smith is the most exciting head-to-head in European sprinting and the Scottish public will be in for a treat.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The Indoor Grand Prix is one of the gems in the athletics crown, so it is with great excitement that we look forward to welcoming the event to Glasgow in February. In an Olympic year, this event has even greater significance and having Dafne Schippers and Dina Asher-Smith going head-to-head will add to what is always a tremendous atmosphere at the Emirates Arena.”

For tickets to the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix please visit www.britishathletics.org.uk

LONDON MARATHON BALLOT RESULTS GO OUT NEXT WEEK

• Record number of applications for 2016

• Every applicant to be given access to a free download of the Digital Virgin Money London Marathon

 

The wait is nearly over. From next Wednesday (30 September) the 247,069 applicants for the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon will find out if they have been successful in the ballot and have a place in the race on Sunday 24 April.

 

The record number of hopefuls applied for a place through the ballot after the decision was made to keep the application process open for five days. More than 55 per cent of the applications were from people who have never run a marathon and more than 42 per cent of the applicants were women.

 

Everyone who has won a place in the ballot will receive a confirmation and magazine through the post. Unsuccessful applicants will receive either a magazine or will be emailed an e-zine. 

 

Applicants who have not received their ballot result are asked to wait until Wednesday 7 October before contacting the London Marathon helpdesk.

 

In addition, every applicant in the ballot – successful or unsuccessful – will be sent a link for a free download of the full Digital Virgin Money London Marathon when it is launched later this year. This year, the digital marathon download will be available only for use on iPhones or iPads. 

 

“We know that there will be a huge number of disappointed people and therefore decided to give everyone who applied a free download of the Digital London Marathon when it’s available later this year,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon. “I’d also remind everyone that there is still a chance to gain a place in the 2016 race by fundraising for a charity. Charities with places available are listed on our website.”

 

Runners in the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon raised more than £54.1 million for charity setting a new record for an annual single day charity fundraising event for the ninth successive year. That brought the total raised for charity by the world’s greatest marathon past the £3/4 billion (more than £770 million) since the event was founded in 1981.

Some pictures that you may not have seen

 

 

I know it has been a while and we have all been busy but I cannot let these pictures drift off into the internet without showing them to you.

They were taken at RideLondon Expo and are just nice shots.

Shots are of Rochelle Gilmore – manager / owner of the women’s cycle team Wiggle Honda.

No slouch in the saddle herself, she got on stage and did her ‘party piece’ which you may have seen on YouTube.  If you haven’t, look it up!

 

Other pics are of her team and some candid shots as well thrown in.

 

All thanks to a great snapper and friend Stuart Stevenson, head of Creative at Prudential.

Riders getting into a pickle this year on The Beast

 

 

Riders completing the Durham Big Ride and Beast in September will have their ‘after ride sustenance’ all sorted with a new venture.

 

Cheese and Pickle, the outside catering arm of The Court Inn from Durham City has the catering contract for the Beast as well as its little brother Durham Big Ride this year. The Beast will see something like a thousand people take to the roads on a ride famous for its 52 miles of hills.

“The Court Inn has an excellent reputation for good food and the outside catering will be no different” said Colin Wiles, ride organiser, “ When people have finished the ride they look forward to a nice treat and the local produce that Cheese and pickle provide fits that bill exactly.”

The Ride, now six years old is not for the faint hearted with almost two miles of vertical climb in the 52.  “The riders of the first one gave the event the name and they often say – if you are not going up you are going down!” said Colin.

 

The Beast, two weeks later, is for the more experienced riders and takes in 52 miles of hills around the Durham City area.

For more information and how to sign up go to www.durhambigride.co.uk

 

Bolt to light up Anniversary Games

The world's biggest athletics superstar, Usain Bolt, will lead a stellar global cast at the re-opening of the London Olympic Stadium on Friday 24th July.

Fans are expected to flock to the stadium to relive memories of 2012, as the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games deliver the best of the Olympics and Paralympics in three days of action-packed athletics.

The cast for the reopening of the stadium following its conversion features Bolt, Team GB's Super Saturday stars Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill, world record holder and London Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha and more than a dozen world or Olympic champions.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'The opening night of the Anniversary Games has attracted the strongest field ever assembled for a single night of athletics, providing Londoners with another 'I was there' moment. The chance to see a living legend like Bolt is very rare and we are delighted to be able to welcome him to the reopening of the stadium where he so thrilled us all at the 2012 Games.'
"It is a beginning of a new chapter for the Stadium and there will be many more amazing nights to come - it is wonderful that we are starting in such style".

Bolt - considered to be one of the greatest sportsmen of all time last competed individually in the UK at the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games in 2013 where he won the 100m in 9.85 seconds.

The 100m and 200m world record holder, winner of six Olympic and eight world titles is looking forward to returning to the scene of his spectacular Olympic triumphs.

Bolt said: "London is a special place where I love to compete and I am looking forward to the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games on July 24.

"I have great memories of competing in the Olympic Stadium in the summer of 2012 and in the previous Grand Prix meets in London.

"The British fans are always great and I expect there will also be a lot of Jamaican fans in the stadium. It will be amazing to put on another great show for them under the floodlights on the Friday night."

The Sainsbury's Anniversary Games includes a two-day Diamond League meeting on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July, with the Sainsbury's IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final taking place on Sunday 26th July.
The event takes place just four weeks before the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing and will be the final time the original London 2012 track is used, before a new surface is laid for the London 2017 World Championships.

British Athletics have secured the right to host athletics in the former Olympic Stadium for one month every year for the next 50 years from 2016.

WIGGINS TOPS THE BILL AT CLASSIC

The legendary Sir Bradley Wiggins, Britain’s most decorated cyclist, will line up on the start line of the third Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday 2 August, part of the Mayor of London’s annual festival of cycling.

 

It will be Wiggins’ first race on UK roads following his sensational performance at the Olympic velodrome earlier this month, when he set a new UCI World Hour Record of 54.526km.The winner of the 2012 Tour de France, four-time Olympic gold medallist and six-time track world champion will lead out his newly-formed team WIGGINS. 

 

Twenty-five teams of six riders will contest the 200km race, which this year starts on Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park and offers the world’s largest prize fund for a one-day race. Also confirmed is Mark Cavendish - the Manx Missile - and his Etixx – Quick-Step team. BBC Sport will televise the race live, with coverage distributed worldwide.

 

“It’s always fantastic to race on home roads and this race is very special,” said Wiggins. “My team is really looking forward to it. I was amazed how many people were out watching last year in that appalling weather. The whole Prudential RideLondon festival shows how much cycling has grown in this country.”

 

“Every race wants Wiggins,” said Mick Bennett, Race Director of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic. “He now has rock star status and generates massive excitement wherever he races. We expect hundreds of thousands of spectators to line the route to cheer him on. His team is packed with great athletes likely to feature in the Team Pursuit in the Rio Games next year and they should perform well in a race of this nature.”

 

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Huge crowds will once again line the capital’s streets this August to roar on some of the world's top cyclists. I’m sure British fans will be shouting even louder at the sight of former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins shooting past our grand landmarks.

 

“London continues to showcase its ability to host world-leading sporting and cultural events, and Prudential RideLondon is yet another one of our superb showpieces that helps to attract tourists, drive the economy and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds on to their bikes. It’s a festival of cycling that caters for everyone, whether you are a top professional, a committed daily commuter who loves riding their bike or a family looking forward to a leisurely day’s cycling along some of the capital’s most famous streets.”

 

Richard Walsh, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Localities and Community Wellbeing, said: “Sir Bradley is a cycling superstar so we can expect huge crowds on the route in Surrey again – and perhaps he will inspire a future icon of the road to emulate his incredible achievements on the bike.”

 

The third edition of the race, rated Category 1.HC on the UCI Europe Tour, will start at the iconic location of Horse Guards Parade in central London before going out through the capital to Kingston upon Thames, Hampton Court and then over the River Thames into Surrey. After 57km of racing, the first challenge the riders will face is the 2.4km climb of Staple Lane in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

 

The peloton will then race through Dorking before taking the southern approach to the ascent of Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey. With a further three circuits (one more than last year) of a loop through Dorking and up the testing 6.7 per cent climb to Ranmore Common, this year’s race is set to be a true classic. 

 

 

The riders will then race up the famous zigzags of Box Hill, through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before returning back through Kingston upon Thames. From there the peloton heads towards central London, through Raynes Park, Wimbledon, over Putney Bridge and alongside the River Thames through Chelsea. The closing stages of the race go through Parliament Square and up Whitehall to the famous 1km to go marker from Trafalgar Square through Admiralty Arch, where the riders will start the final sprint along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace and the finish line.

 

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic is the fifth and final event of Prudential RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling. More than 95,000 riders will participate in the five events over the weekend of 1-2 August.

           

Fat Buddha helps St. Cuthbert's with 'Dine and Donate' fundraising

 

Diners in a Durham restaurant not only had a good time but raised money for one of the City charities during a 'Dine and Donate' deal during May.

 

Fat Buddha Durham, in the Walkergate area of the City centre, got together with St. Cuthbert's Hospice to raise money during May.

Bob Senior and Kay Welsh toast a successful 'Dine and Donate' month

 

 

During the month customers of the Durham based Asian bar and kitchen were offered the ' Early Buddha' menu that would donate five pounds to the Hospice.  Some 175 people took up the offer of great food and adding to the funds of a very well respected local charity.

 

" The hospice has done a great job for the people surrounding the City for years and we were looking at some way to help them.  Not only did the diners have a delightful meal in great surroundings but they also helped to raise money and awareness of the work that St. Cuthbert's does." said Managing Director of Fat Buddha Bob Senior.

 

Fat Buddha has been in Durham for over eight years and now has a sister restaurant in Newcastle with another in Sunderland opening during the summer.

 

Kay Welsh, Senior Donor Development Fundraiser  at the Hospice was delighted to collect the cheque from the restaurant fro £875:

 

“We are grateful to each and every one of the diners who came along to Fat Buddha and helped raise this money. Of course we’d also like to thank Bob and his staff for thinking of us in this way. It created great interest as well as much needed funds. Fat Buddha served us up a treat.”

 

 

Staff ready for the ' Big Day' of Mod and ska music

 
Stanley Events, the organisers of this May Bank Holiday music festival in Chester le Street, are making sure that the event goes off safely and smoothly thanks to training and employing their own group of stewards.

"An event is only as good as the people who work on it. To make sure that the customers have an enjoyable, safe time the company has trained it own people to the highest of standards." said Anna Marshall who has overseen the training

Indeed, since it started operating over three years ago, Stanley Events has trained over 60 staff to work at their events. These people have continued to work for the company as event stewards and SIA staff at their festivals.

" Because of the scale of this years event, with bands starting at noon and music going on until late into the evening, we have trained another 12 new staff members to add to our pool of reliable, hard working staff." Said Anna

One of the staff making a welcome return is 18 year old Lewis Christie who has gained extra work since gaining his qualifications with the company:

"When I got my NVQ in stewarding and spectator safety with Stanley Events, it gave me the confidence to go and look for work where I could use my news skills.  For the past two years I have been working at St. James' Park on all home games. It is really good work so any opportunity, like the Riverside live event that I can be a part of I am always ready for."

Riverside Live will see headline bands from the Mod and Ska era such as 'From The Jam' The Lambrettas' and The Selecter' taking to the stage at the latter part of the day with local bands kicking things off from noon on Sunday 24 May.

"Staff employed for Stanley Events have undertaken a range of training including: Level 2 Award in Understanding Stewarding at Spectator Events and Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Stewarding at Spectator Events. Some have also went on to complete SIA door supervision training.
Not only has this have them the required qualifications to work on a big event such as the Riverside Live but also a lot of our previous trained staff have went on to other similar work around the region." said Anna

Riverside live Mod and Ska music festival is on May 24 at the Chester le Street riverside with doors opening at 11.30 and the first band at noon. There are still some tickets left at £35 from http://www.riversidelive.org/home.htm

Stanley Events will also be making private donations from festival profits to Three charities: The national charity Help For Heroes as well as two local charities St. Cuthbert's Hospice based in Durham City and Chester Le Street Mind.

 

Top restaurant teams up with Hospice to make May 'Donate while you Dine' month

Durham's Fat Buddha Restaurant is making sure that May is the month when the local hospice fundraising gets an extra top up with 'Donate while you Dine' 

The Walkergate based eatery has teamed up with St. Cuthbert's Hospice to offer a deal on the 'Early Buddha' menu that will see each order donate to the charity:

 " We spoke to the Hospice about how we could help in a practical way" said Bob Senior, Fat Buddha Chief Executive, "and we come up with a way that will work throughout the month and hopefully help with much needed funding for a really great cause."

"Anyone coming into the Durham restaurant can simply opt for selection from the  'Early Buddha' menu.  This is the menu on between 5pm and 7pm Sunday until Friday so is ideal for after work eating or an early dinner with the family.  £5 from the price of the adult selection goes to the hospice."

Kay Welsh,  Senior Donor Development Fundraiser for the Durham City based hospice is delight with the offer:

"We would like to thank Bob and everyone at fat Buddha in Durham for supporting St. Cuthbert's Hospice.  May is a really important fundraising month for us as we prepare for our new summer paint event, 'Colourama' on June 6 and fat Buddha are helping as much as they can."

Restaurant 'signs off' Mayor with new menu fayre

The Mayor of the City of Durham, Cllr John Robinson was invited to The Court Inn, in the City, to sample the new menu of local produce recently as one of his last official duties.

The Mayor with wife Maxine, was on one of his last engagements as his tenure finishes during May, who along with other invited guests sampled the new menu that has been put together with as much local produce as possible.

 

 
The Mayor said about his year in office:

"The year has flown by!  The people I have met and the projects I have seen across the whole of the County have been just amazing.  One reason I was happy to come and see Trevor and what he has put on his menu is that he is a champion of local produce, something I have always encouraged and supported."

Trevor Davis, who has run the Court Inn for just under two years now, was really happy to see John as guest of honour at the launch:

"The Mayor has been here before and was very encouraging when he found out that I was planning an 'all local' menu and promised me he would come down when it was complete.  And good to his word he was quick to reply when the invite went out."

 

He continued, " The new menu caters for a wide range of tastes and is sources as local as we possibly can."

Scooter Club snap up last of the bargain tickets

 

Mod music lovers and scooter rides from across the region will be descending on the Riverside in Chester le Street at the end of the month to bask in a full day of music.

With headline bands such as 'From the Jam' The Lambrettas' and The Selector' the day is sure to be a nostalgic festival for those who remember the late 70's and early 80's music as a background to their youth.

 

"We have some top class bands from that era and we also have some cracking local bands that play ska / mod music so the whole day will be a true festival of that time in music." said Carl Marshall from the organisers, Stanley Events.

"Tickets have sold very well so the atmosphere will be great with old and new fans of the bands coming along to see the tracks they know so well performed live."

 
Durham County Scooter Club came down 'on mass' to collect their tickets and could not be happier with the bands on at the event. Paul Buglass, one of the group, is particularly looking forward to seeing one of the bands:

" I have been a 'Lambrettas' fan for a long time now and they don't really tour that much.  To see them on the same stage as the other bands from the era is going to be a great day and we are al looking forward to the day.  To top it all, having them all on our doorstep is just fantastic!"

" Durham County Scooter Club are just one of a host of scooter clubs who have taken an interest in the festival. We are sure to see many a colourful scooter here in Chester le Street from across the region."said Carl

 
Tickets for the May 24th festival can be bought from the website www.riversidelive.org/home.html

 

 

 

Support bands at Riverside Live - well worth getting there early

 

We can go on about the top bands - and they are top bands from the era of two-tone / ska / late 70's music scene but what about the supporting acts?

During the day long festival of 'Mod' music that sees Bruce Foxton 'From The Jam' headlining, there are some great local bands who are looking to crank up the atmosphere with some music to set the 'tone ' for the big boys later in the day.

Tyneside-based Who tribute band The Whodlums have been performing the music of one of the world's greatest bands for almost a decade, playing to packed houses and festival crowds across the UK.
Formed in 2006 with the aim of recreating the authenticity and sound of The Who live, and the current line-up has been together since 2008. They play the whole gambit of the Who tunes from the early days of Substitute and My Generation, through to later hits such as Who Are You and You Better You Bet.

When LoGOz hit the stage, prepare to have your lugs mashed and your furniture cracked by our original Schizofrantic Punk Pop Rock’n’Roll.

 

LoGOz hail from deepest Northumberland and are a three -piece band with lead vocals PEESH, lead guitar and backing vocals, PAUL SPICER, plus drums from HARRY THOMAS.  Sit back and enjoy!

The Last Fakers are an indie band described as “brilliant in your face rock n roll”. (BBC introducing)  Formed in 2008 the band are 5 friends from the north east.  With festival headline slots and major support gigs under their belts the last fakers have become the band that impress every time.

 

The Style Selektors, a 6-piece Ska, Mod, Indie, Two Tone band from sunny Teesside. The Style Selektors originally formed as a duo act in 2011. Kev, the founding member, was the front man of Hartlepool legends, The Candy Ranch. Since then they have supported Bruce Foxton's from the Jam, and the amazing The Chords.   In 2013, Kev was finally ready to take the step up in forming a full band, he felt it would receive a better reception from the crowds, and would be the right decision to take the group further. He could not have been more correct! After a minor rearrangement of the group, The Style Selektors are going from strength to strength.

More information on the bands and the headliners as well as tickets can be seen at

http://www.riversidelive.org/home.htm

St Cuthbert festival marking St. Cuthbert's Day March 20

St Cuthbert Festival Durham Cathedral is the resting place of St Cuthbert, one of the North's greatest saints, and was built to house his shrine. Every year there is an array of special services and celebratory events on and around St Cuthbert's Day, which falls on 20 March. This year is no exception. Visitors of all ages are invited to join us as we celebrate the life of this remarkable saint. All events are free.  Please share this e-news with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming you to Durham Cathedral.

Special Services Thursday 19 March, 7.30pm Sung Eucharist and Procession on the Eve of St Cuthbert Durham Cathedral Choir is joined by Newcastle Cathedral Choir to honour our Northern Saint.  Friday 20 March, 5.15pm Evensong and Procession on the Feast of St Cuthbert A joyous commemoration of the life of St Cuthbert, featuring the late John Tavener's work, Ikon of St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, written specially for Durham Cathedral and sung by Durham Cathedral Choir.

Family Fun - Storytelling and Make & Take Saturday 21 March, 10.30am-12.00noon & 1.30pm-3.30pm The South Transept and the Education Centre Join storyteller Adam Bushnell for a day of stories and activities celebrating the life of St Cuthbert, featuring excerpts from a new children's book about St Cuthbert by Sam Church which is available in the Cathedral Shop. Come and try your hand at being a jousting knight or making some Anglo-Saxon artefacts and crafts. A free event - no need to book.

Local Producers' Market Saturday 21 March, 10.00am - 4.00pm The Cathedral Cloister An opportunity to purchase local food and produce in a special Cuthbert's Tide market in the Cathedral Cloister.   Organised by Durham Markets Company

St Cuthbert's Day Walk and Procession Saturday 21 March, 9.30am St Mary’s and St Cuthbert’s Church, Chester-le-Street Join the Northumbrian Association for its annual walk in honour of St Cuthbert from Chester-le-Street to Durham Cathedral, symbolic of the arrival of the body and the relics of St Cuthbert in Durham in 995AD. The walk arrives at the Cathedral via Durham’s Market Place. The St Cuthbert Banner will be carried in processsion from the Market Place to the Cathedral. Both the Banner and walkers will be welcomed to the Cathedral at 2.15pm for a procession and prayers at the Shrine of St Cuthbert. The walk is guided and is eight miles long. Please wear sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for the weather. For more information or to reserve a place please contact events@durhamcathedral.co.uk. Organised by the Northumbrian Association.

St Cuthbert's Tide Tours of the Cathedral Saturday 21 March, 10.00am, 10.30am, 11.00am, 1.00pm & 3.00pm Enjoy a free tour of the Cathedral with one of our experienced guides.

Pilgrimage Walk Saturday 21 March, 10.00am - 11.30am Woodlands and Riverbanks A reflective walk around the city centre riverbanks.  The walk starts at the North Door, the main entrance to the Cathedral.  Please wear sturdy footwear and dress appropriately for the weather. A free event - to reserve a place contact events@durhamcathedral.co.uk

Stonemasonry Demonstration Saturday 21 March, 10.30am - 12.30pm & 2.30pm - 4.00pm The Cloister Garth Durham Cathedral employs a team of stonemasons who maintain and conserve the fabric of this wonderful building. One of the masons will be demonstrating the techniques involved and may even let visitors have a go themselves.

The Lindisfarne Gospels Saturday 21 March, 11.30am & 3.30pm The Chapel of The Nine Altars Catherine Hodgson, Marketing Officer at Durham Cathedral, explains the history and significance of this Anglo-Saxon manuscript written in honour of St Cuthbert. Catherine holds a 1st class honours degree in History from Durham University. During the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition at Durham University's Palace Green Library in 2013, she regularly gave talks to visitors about the Lindisfarne Gospels that were enjoyed by all.

John Stainer's 'The Crucifixion' Saturday 21 March, 7.00pm St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington Performed by The Galilee Choir of The Chorister School, St Cuthbert's Church Choir and Choirs from Darlington Deanery. Admission free. There will be a retiring collection.

MUTAI AND MERGIA BOOST LONDON MARATHON FIELDS AS BEKELE WITHDRAWS

Two of the greatest marathon fields ever assembled have just become even stronger with the announcement today that Geoffrey Mutai and Aselefech Mergia have been added to the men's and women's elite line-ups for the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon.

 

 

 

Kenya's Mutai and Mergia from Ethiopia are the two most prominent names in a second wave of athletes signed up for the London Marathon's 35th anniversary races on Sunday 26 April.

 

The men's line-up remains one of the best ever seen, and has been strengthened further with the new addition of Geoffrey Mutai, a man who has won the New York Marathon twice in recent years and tasted victory at the 2012 Berlin Marathon. He famously set an unofficial world best when he won the 2011 Boston Marathon in two hours three minutes two seconds, although not acceptable for official records because of the downhill Boston course.

The 2011/12 World Marathon Majors champion joins a field featuring the first ever marathon clash between world record holder Dennis Kimetto and defending London champion Wilson Kipsang, plus the second fastest marathon runner in history, Emmanuel Mutai, the reigning Chicago Marathon champion, Eliud Kipchoge, and last year's London Marathon runner-up Stanley Biwott.

The line-up contains the three fastest marathon runners of all time, and six of the 10 quickest men in history, while Mutai, who has a 'legitimate' personal best of 2:04:15, is one of nine men to have run the grueling 26.2 miles in under 2:05.

A training partner of Kipsang and Kimetto, the 33-year-old Kenyan was due to compete at the Tokyo Marathon on 22 February, but had to withdraw from that race because of a niggling injury and instead has prepared himself to compete with the rest of the world's best in London, a race already described as "ridiculously good" and "fantasy track and field" by the Let's Run website.

Mergia's record is barely less impressive. She returned from pregnancy to win the women's race at the lucrative Dubai Marathon in January for a record third time, while her personal best of 2:19:31 makes her the third quickest on paper in a women's field containing the last three London Marathon champions – Edna Kiplagat, Mary Keitany and Priscah Jeptoo – plus last year's runner-up, the world half marathon record holder Florence Kiplagat.

Mergia will take on Kenya's fab four in London alongside fellow Ethiopian Tirfi Tsegaye, the 2014 Tokyo and Berlin Marathon champion, who is another new addition to the talented roster. Tsegaye broke the course record when she won the Tokyo Marathon last February, and ran a personal best of 2:20:18 to take victory in Berlin last September.

 
While this will be Tsegaye's London Marathon debut, Mergia runs for the third time having reached the podium on her first appearance in 2010. The addition of these two champions means the race now features four women who have run quicker than 2:20 and eight who have broken 2:21.

Virgin Money London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher welcomed all the new additions.

"Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it has," said Brasher. "In most marathons around the world Geoffrey Mutai and Aselefech Mergia would be headline names in their own right.

"While, of course, we are disappointed to lose Kenenisa, we are delighted to have added Geoffrey and Aselefech to our already bursting fields and welcome them back to London along with all our elite athletes.

  

Men

Wilson Kipsang KEN 2:03:23

Dennis Kimetto KEN 2:02:57

Emmanuel Mutai KEN 2:03:13

Eliud Kipchoge KEN 2:04:05

Geoffrey Mutai KEN 2:04:15

Ayele Abshero ETH 2:04:23

Sammy Kitwara KEN 2:04:28

Tsegaye Mekonnen ETH 2:04:32

Stanley Biwott KEN 2:04:55

Tilahun Regassa ETH 2:05:27

Samuel Tsegay ERI 2:07:28

 

Women

Edna Kiplagat KEN 2:19:50

Mary Keitany KEN 2:18:37

Aselefech Mergia ETH 2:19:31

Florence Kiplagat KEN 2:19:44

Priscah Jeptoo KEN 2:20:14

Tirfi Tsegaye ETH 2:20:81

Feyse Tadese ETH 2:20:27

Jemima Sumgong KEN 2:20:41

Tigist Tufa ETH 2:21:52

Tetyana Gamera UKR 2:22:09

Tatyana Arkhipova RUS 2:23:29

 

JENSON BUTTON HEADS CELEBRITY FIELD FOR 2015 VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON

Formula 1 star Jenson Button heads a list of stars from television, film, music, radio and sport lining up for the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 26 April to raise funds for their chosen charities.

 

The 35-year-old former world champion and keen runner will be making his Virgin Money London Marathon debut in April and is hoping to beat his marathon personal best time of 2:58. Button is running for Charity of the Year Cancer Research UK and has set a fundraising target of £5,000.

 

 

Joining Button in the Cancer Research UK team is British fashion designer Henry Holland, who is raising money for the charity after several of his close family and friends were affected by cancer. Scottish television presenter and radio DJ Jenni Falconer will also be raising money for Cancer Research UK in her fourth London Marathon. 

 

Several sports stars and presenters will compete with Button to be the quickest celebrity of 2015, all attempting to beat the current celebrity best times set by former professional cyclist Chris Newton (2:45:10) and model Nell McAndrew (2:54:39).

 

1968 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist David Hemery CBE, now 70, has been persuaded to run his first marathon for 39 years by former race director Dave Bedford. Hemery will be running with his son Peter and weightlifter Michaela Breeze to raise funds for his charity 21st Century Legacy. Breeze represented Great Britain at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and won six medals for Wales over four Commonwealth Games. 

 

Olympic champion rowers James Cracknell (running for Headway, the brain injury association) and Zac Purchase (running for SportsAid) line up alongside Welsh rugby union star Shane Williams (running for the World Wide Fund for Nature). 

 

Sky Sports' Sarah-Jane Mee will make her London Marathon debut, raising money for the children's charity Sparks, whilst veteran marathon runner and fellow presenter Charlie Webster will run for the fourth time to raise funds for Centre Point. 

 

Juliet Aubrey, Helen George and Dervla Kirwan are three of the famous faces from the world of television drama taking on the London Marathon for the first time this year. 

 

Aubrey, ambassador for the charity Women for Women International, is most famous for her roles in ITV's Primeval, and the BBC's The White Queen and The Village. George meanwhile is best-known for her role as Trixie in the hugely successful BBC series Call the Midwife and is running for Macmillan.

 

Star of stage and screen, Kirwan found fame playing Assumpta Fitzgerald in household favourite Ballykissangel. She is running for the charity ActionAid.

 

Reality television stars Hugo Taylor and Oliver Proudlock will put aside the dramas of Channel 4's Made in Chelsea to run in aid of Malaria No More and The Rainbow Trust, and the British Heart Foundation respectively. Whilst April will be Proudlock's first experience of the London Marathon, Taylor completed the 2014 race in a time of 4:17:51. 

 

Greg James, BBC Radio One DJ and television presenter, will make his marathon debut in London, raising funds for The Lords Taverner's.

 

Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research will have a strong representation from the world of television including stars of Welsh drama Hinterland Hannah Daniel and Richard Harrington, Doc Martin's Jessica Ransom, Casualty's George Rainsford and Emmerdale's Jeff Hordley and Tony Audenshaw.