Race for perfection
London Marathon Events director Hugh Brasher discusses this year ’ s event , and the plans to build on the new partnerships and initiatives it involved
Words : Christopher Barrett
I
was lucky to be one of the 40,927 people to race through the streets of London on 2 October and witness the remarkable results of London Marathon Events ’ ( LME ) organisational expertise and the hugely uplifting collective rush of physical and mental wellbeing that only live events of its nature can bring .
As usual , crowds lined the streets , cheering and playing music in the sunshine , while runners endeavoured to raise millions of pounds for charity . The London Marathon is always a spectacle , but this year there were several notable enhancements .
Among the most uplifting new elements was a section renamed Rainbow Row in celebration of the LGBTQIA + community , but by far the most welcome was the finish line on The Mall where naming rights partner TCS had worked with LME to create an impressive new gantry .
Created by Bedfordshire-based Square One , the new structure featured a large LED screen showing runners ’ personalised messages , sent from family and friends , as they crossed the finish line . Supporters were able to submit messages using the Belief Booster function in the TCS London Marathon app . Meanwhile , the hospitality guests were able to stand above the finish line and sip beverages as they watched , through a glass floor , the participants pass beneath .
LME director Hugh Brasher says that due to the complexity of the structure , work on its construction began in 2021 : “ That was so we could practice and make sure we could put it up in the timescale needed , because it is the most incredible structure .”
As well as working to enhance the event experience for participants , LME had been busy behind the scenes taking measures to reduce its environmental impact . The sight of thousands of discarded plastic water bottles along the route was concerning , but Brasher insists LME is working hard to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the end of 2024 .
To help reach that goal , the organisation is working with the ReScore ; a cloud-based application developed for the Council for Responsible Sport by TCS . The app enables event organisers to measure , track , report , and verify their progress on a range of environmental and social indicators .
“ What you have to remember with sustainability is the three Ps ; people , profit and planet ,” says Brasher . “ Sustainability without profit is not sustainable , so you ’ ve got to ensure there is the right balance . We ’ ve got some hard-hitting targets on both diversity and sustainability . Whenever we show them to people , they are really surprised at how quickly we are changing . People talk about 2030 , or 2040 , or 2050 as sustainability targets , we ’ re talking about 2023 , 2024 and 2025 .”
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