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The Original Marathon IX

Campaign by Aspire

The Original Marathon - run the route of the first ever 26.2 mile marathon from Windsor to White City.

Original Marathon IX 2026 · 7 March 2026 ·

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Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life. Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help, supporting spinal cord injured people from injury to independence.

Story

Run the Original Marathon – the first EVER 26.2 mile marathon. The first marathons had varying distances but a famous race changed all that: The London 1908 Olympic Games marathon ran from Windsor Castle to The White City Stadium, finishing in front of the Royal Box. It was July 1908 and a very hot day and the race started at 11.30am.

Exhausted, Dorando Pietri (Italy) entered the stadium in the lead, went the wrong way, fell 5 times, crossed the line first but was disqualified as officials had helped him. Sympathy for Dorando led the Queen to award him a special cup. The 26.2 mile distance was finally ratified in 1924 and has been the global marathon standard distance ever since.

A legacy event was established following this famous race and is STILL the longest running European marathon. The legacy event ran from 1909 to 1996 and boasts 8 world records set on its course.

This will only be the 9th running of this iconic route. The Original Marathon is back and this is your chance to run in the footsteps of legends.

Donation summary

Total
£7,472.26
+ £1,585.19 Gift Aid
Online
£7,334.76
Offline
£0.00
Direct
£50.00
Fundraisers
£7,422.26

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