150,000 children sign up for the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon

More than 150,000 children across the UK will take part in this year’s Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon.

Over 500 primary schools have signed up to become part of the world’s greatest marathon in the first virtual Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon. Children will complete 2.6 miles between 28 September and 9 October.

They can run, jog or even walk the distance – and it doesn’t have to be completed in one go. Some children will choose to run the 2.6 miles in one day, while others might jog or even walk for a period to get their breath back and complete the race over two, three or more days. 

Image from the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon 2019

Children with disabilities can complete the event in a way that meets their needs too – whether that’s walking, pushing, being pushed, walking with crutches or a different way entirely.

“The response from schools has been fantastic. We had set an initial target of 45,000 children for this new initiative to inspire primary school children to be active and we hit that within seven days of launch,” Hugh Brasher, event director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said. “We all know that being physically active improves health and fitness and supports good mental health and wellbeing and it’s wonderful to know that so many children will be part of the London Marathon this year.”

Schools can still register to take part and all participating schools will receive resources to inspire their children, including video messages from an elite athlete.

Visit the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon website to find out more.