Folks raise money for charities in many ways. People jump off buildings and out of planes. People swim the channel smeared in Vaseline. Some people take baths in baked beans. And this year for the 30th time an awful lot of…er…lets say brave, people will destroy the cartilage in their knees over 26 gruelling miles in the London marathon.

london-marathon

Running generally is a popular way for charities to raise money. Everyone understands what it is, and apart from some sneakers and a vest you don’t need any special equipment to do it. From fun-runs to marathons it seems hardly anybody goes above walking pace in this country without first getting sponsorship.

The London marathon is of course no exception to this rule. In addition to the elite marathon runners thousands of others (some suffering from severe cases of fancy dress) will pound the streets of Britain’s capital. Astonishingly it turns out that the London Marathon is the single largest one day fund-raising event on the planet.

This year is the 30th Anniversary of the London Marathon and it is set to be a record breaker as far as charity fund-raising goes. Over an an incredible half-billion pounds is set to be raised. That is a lot of money by anybody’s standards. Good luck if you are taking part in the London Marathon on April 25. Rather you than me!