The vision, values and aims of London Marathon Events
When the late Chris Brasher and John Disley founded the London Marathon, they established six founding aims for the organisation. Forty years on, London Marathon Events (LME) has built on these to develop its vision, values and aims:
Our vision: Inspiring Activity
Our values: Inspiration, Excellence, Integrity, Together and Fun
Our aims:
- To have fun and provide some happiness and a sense of achievement in a troubled world
- To show humanity that, on occasions, society can be united
- To inspire more people to take up sport
- To maximise revenue for charities
- To improve the overall standard and status of British distance running
- To raise money for the provision of recreational facilities in London, the areas where we organise events and across the UK
- To help London tourism
- To show when it comes to organising events, ‘Britain is best’
- To inspire and deliver innovation in mass participation event sustainability
Each year the surplus from our events is transferred under Gift Aid to the London Marathon Charitable Trust (The Trust). The Trust awards grants to projects that inspire people to become and remain active in London and across the UK. To find out more about the work of The Trust, click here.
In addition to the TCS London Marathon, LME organises the following running events:
- The Big Half
- TCS Mini London Marathon
- TCS Mini London Marathon in schools
- Vitality Westminster Mile
- Vitality London 10,000
- Standard Chartered Great City Race
- Brighton Marathon Weekend
LME also organises Ford RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling, and Swim Serpentine, an open water swimming festival in Hyde Park.
The London Classics
In 2017, a new mass participation challenge called the London Classics was launched. Everyone who completes the London Marathon, the RideLondon 100-mile cycling sportive and the two-mile Swim Serpentine event receives a London Classics medal and is listed in the London Classics Hall of Fame. The medal is engraved with the words ‘Et ego Londinium vici’, meaning ‘I too have conquered London’. For more information about the London Classics, click here.