Germany, July 29, 2013: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and The London Marathon Ltd are pleased to announce a four-year contract extension for the IPC Marathon World Cup.
The move will see the world’s best marathon para-athletes continue to compete in the Virgin Money London Marathon until at least 2017, following a highly a highly successful debut this April in London, when more than 70 para-athletes covering a range of impairment groups – visually impaired, arm and leg amputees and wheelchair racers – took to the streets of the British capital in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The four-year contract is the latest addition to an ever-growing programme of events for elite athletes on the world stage, which in 2013 alone includes the recent World Championships in Lyon, France, seven IPC Athletics Grand Prix events in Europe, Asia and the Americas and the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at London’s Olympic Stadium.
Ed Warner, Chairman of the IPC Athletics Sport Technical Committee, said: “Our strategic aim is to give the world’s best athletes greater high level competition opportunities ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and this deal helps to provide this for marathon racers.
“We are delighted to agree this deal with the London Marathon, as this year’s event was a great success and the feedback from the athletes who took part has been tremendous.
Hugh Brasher, Race Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “Following the spectacular performances of IPC athletes in the London Marathon this year, we are naturally very pleased to continue working with the IPC within our event to develop and raise the profile of the para-athletes in all categories, particularly over the next four years in the run-up to the 2017 World Championships in London.
“We feel that we can continue to work with IPC Athletics to improve standards, ultimately developing the sport of elite marathon running within these classes. We strongly believe this is a natural progression from the work we have already done within elite wheelchair marathon racing.”
The 2013 IPC Marathon World Cup winners were as follows:
– Men’s wheelchair race – Kurt Fearnley (AUS) 1:31.29
– Women’s wheelchair race – Tatyana McFadden (USA) 1:46.02
– Men’s T11-13 – El Amin Chentouf (MAR) 2:24:00
– Women T11-13 – Maria Carman Paredes (ESP) 3:17:10
– Men’s T42 – Richard Whitehead (GBR) 3:15:53
– Men’s T44-46 – Alessandro Di Lello (ITA) 2:32:06
The qualifying criteria for next year’s IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup will be published shortly.
About The London Marathon
The London Marathon was first run in 1981, co-founded by the late Chris Brasher, and current London Marathon Director John Disley, establishing charitable status and with six aims;
1. To improve the overall standard and status of British marathon running by providing a fast course and strong international competition.
2. To show mankind that, on occasions, the Family of Man can be united.
3. To raise money for the provision of recreational facilities in London.
4. To help London tourism.
5. To prove that when it comes to organising major events, “Britain is best”.
6. To have fun and provide happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world.
Over 888,873 finishers have raised, it is estimated, more than £610 million in sponsorship for numerous charities over the years. A record breaking £46.5 million was raised for good causes in the 2007 event, making the London Marathon a Guinness world record holder as the largest single annual fund raising event in the world. Amount raised for charities in 2012, £52.8 million and the 2013 fundraising figures will be available September 2013. 34,596 (subject to ratification) runners finished the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 21 April 2013.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.