Great British Events

April may start a little bit foolishly but there are some great reasons to celebrate this month in London. Why not celebrate St George with iChauffeur?

The London Marathon has been held each year in London since 1981, usually in April and this year on Sunday 26th April. The race is currently sponsored by Flora, and known as the Flora London Marathon.
In addition to being a truly world class sporting event it is one of the World Marathon Majors, a two-year series of elite marathon racing that also includes the Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin marathons. The London Marathon is also a large, celebratory sporting festival, and like the Great North Run, most definitely a Great British Event.

A notable feature of the London Marathon is the huge amounts of money that are raised for charity by the runners. According to the race organisers, it is now the largest annual fund raising event in the world and to date the total amount raised for charity by the runners is an amazing £315 million. In 2009 the official charity of the London Marathon is The Children’s Trust, Tadworth.

The London Marathon was founded by Chris Brasher and John Disley, which was inspired by the New York Marathon after Brasher ran and completed it in 1979.

Official London Marathon Site

Thursday April 2 – Saturday April 4 2009

Location: Aintree Racecourse, Ormskirk Road, Aintree, Liverpool, L9 5AS

The most famous chase in the world, has since 1839 thrilled spectators and non-racegoers alike with it’s challenging spectacle. 40 horses will compete over two circuits of Aintree’s Grand National course and jumping 30 challenging fences. Four and a half adrenaline fuelled miles later, one horse and rider will be rewarded with one of the most prestigious prizes in horse racing. To have their names etched alongside the other Greats and to try and emulate the legendary Aintree Grand National performances of Red Rum, Aldaniti and Bob Champion. They will of course do their best not to emulate Devon Loch’s famous and inexplicable collapse in the 1956 Grand National, a mere 50 yards from victory. A constant reminder that the race is often won and lost in the final run, which makes it all the more exciting for the once-a-year punters.