London Marathon invites kids to take part in virtual event

The London Marathon has launched a virtual Mini Marathon for this year's event, which is aiming to inspire children to get active.

It is the first time the event is virtual for adults and children, and organisers are inviting primary schools across the UK to join in.

Usually, the Mini London Marathon features more than 1,600 runners aged 11-17 from across the UK, who race the last three miles of the London Marathon course.

Instead, this year children are being asked to run 2.6 miles between Monday 28 September to Friday 9 October.

Every child who finishes will get an official medal and certificate.

The 2020 London Marathon takes place on Sunday 4 October, with elite races in a closed-loop circuit around St James's Park.

45,000 people in the UK and around the world are also running the 26.2 mile distance on a course of their choice.

Activity levels for children who do the recommended 60 minutes a day have gone from 47% to 19% since lockdown began.

Hugh Brasher, the Event Director of the Marathon, said: "We are working to inspire 45,000 children to take part in this new virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon. Being physically active improves health and fitness and supports good mental health and wellbeing."

For two years the London Marathon has been working together with the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, to introduce something called The Daily Mile into London's primary schools.

More than 800 schools across the capital have signed up to this initiative, which encourages children to run or jog for 15 minutes each day.

Marathon organisers say the Mini Marathon is the equivalent to three Daily Miles, and can be completed over two or three days. You can jog or walk whenever you want to, and disabled children in wheelchairs can be pushed, or you can walk the marathon in crutches.

Last year's London Marathon raised £66.4 million for charity, setting a new Guinness World Record for an annual one-day charity fundraising event for a 13th year in a row.

Since the Marathon began in 1981, more than £1 billion has been raised for charity!