News Archive

It is with great

regret that London Marathon Limited has learnt of the death of Chris Brasher

CBE, President of London Marathon Limited. Chris Brasher, who died at the age

of 74 after an illness, was the co-founder of the first London Marathon in 1981

and it is to his unflagging energy and enthusiasm that the event owes its

success.

It was after visiting New York in the late seventies that Chris decided

London should also stage a big city Marathon. After he had run the marathon in

New York he had said: "To believe this story you must believe that the

human race be one joyous family, working together, laughing together, achieving

the impossible. Last Sunday, in one of the most trouble-stricken cities in the

world, 11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a

million black, white and yellow people, laughed, cheered and suffered during

the greatest folk festival the world has seen."

Chris Brasher then asked: "Could London stage such a festival?"

The idea of the London Marathon was born - and its story until today is one of

enormous success. The inaugural event contributed to the Marathon boom,

introducing to the man in the street the belief that he too could share the

sense of achievement that covering the classical distance brings. "Chris

was one of those rare individuals that could make things happen,"

commented London Marathon Chairman Jim Clarke. "Without him the race would

not have got off the ground. It is also worth remembering that the hundreds of

millions of pounds raised for charity through the Marathon are directly

attributable to him. He will be sorely missed by all of us at the

Marathon," concluded Clarke.

Chris Brasher was a multi-talented individual who worked in television and

the written press after a successful career as an elite athlete. In 1954 he

helped pace Roger Bannister to the first four minute mile and two years later

he claimed his own place in the sun taking the ultimate prize of Olympic

steeplechase gold 1956 in Melbourne. He belongs to the founding members of AIMS

(Association for International Marathon and road races) in London 1982 and for

a time president.

The team of the real,- BERLIN MARATHON mourns for Chris Brasher, a friend

and partner.