The London Marathon has attracted £19.9m in donations via Virgin Money Giving following its return to a mass participation event this year, after being staged virtually in 2020.

This is £3.8m (24%) up on the £16.1m received via Virgin Money Giving after last year’s event, which was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines.

But while the money raised was up on last year’s tally, it is still £5.6m (28%) down on the last in person mass participation London Marathon to be staged in the capital, in 2019 when £25.5m was raised.

Good night London, you're all heroes.❤️#LondonMarathon #WeRunTogether pic.twitter.com/xk2bIryXFO

— Virgin Money London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) October 3, 2021

Organiser Virgin Money Giving says it received its biggest ever donation day this year, with £2.11m donated through its website on Marathon day itself (October 3).

A total of £8.2m was received in the seven days leading up to this year’s event, which also included a virtual fundraising element to run alongside the in-person race in the capital.

The 2021 event’s charity of the year Macmillan Cancer has received £1.9m in donations.

This is the final year Virgin Money will be sponsoring the event. In August, it announced it is to close its Virgin Money Giving charitable arm in a cost cutting move.

Last year’s in-person event only involved elite runners competing in the capital, with fundraisers encouraged to take part elsewhere while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Share Story: