London Marathon and Virgin Money announce new sponsorship deal

The London Marathon announced a five-year extension to its sponsorship deal with Virgin Money today, and revealed a new race logo and title for 2014. Virgin Money, the banking division of the Virgin Group of companies, will continue as London Marathon sponsor until at least 2017, while the race will change its name from the Virgin London Marathon to the Virgin Money London Marathon from next year.

Virgin Money first became the title sponsor of the event in 2010 with the aim of helping runners raise £250 million for charity over five years. In the first three years of Virgin Money sponsorship, runners raised more than £150m. In 2012 a record-breaking £52.8m was raised, of which more than £17.8m was raised through the Virgin Money Giving not-for-profit online fundraising service.

London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher welcomed the new deal as a sign of the event's enduring appeal across Britain and global status as the world's premier big city marathon. "We are delighted to have Virgin Money as our race sponsors for another five years," he said. "The event has gone from strength to strength since the first Virgin London Marathon in 2010. We have had some of the greatest fields in the history of marathon running and seen some of the best races in 33 years of the London Marathon.

"In addition, our runners have continued to raise more and more money for charity, many of them using Virgin Money Giving, and the Marathon itself continues to break all records for charity fundraising. "We are convinced our partnership with Virgin Money will help to confirm our status as the world's number one marathon." Jayne-Anne Gadhia, chief executive of Virgin Money said: "I am delighted to announce the extension of Virgin Money's London Marathon sponsorship. It is such an epic and inspirational day and holds the record as the world's biggest annual fundraising event.

"We launched Virgin Money Giving in 2009 as it has always been our ambition to support the runners in their attempts to raise even greater amounts of money for good causes." Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah revealed the event's new logo at the Tower Hotel in London today just 24 hours after running the first half of the 2013 race. The Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion ran with the leading men as part of his preparation for making a full marathon debut at the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede went on to win his second London Marathon, while Priscah Jeptoo claimed the women's title. Kurt Fearnley won the men's wheelchair race, while Tatyana McFadden broke the women's wheelchair record. There was also a world record for El Amin Chentouf in the inaugural IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup event.

In all, 34,278 runners finished the race wearing black ribbons to remember those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.

The ballot to enter the 2014 Virgin Money London marathon opens online on 29 April: www.virginlondonmarathon.com

For more information about the Virgin Money London Marathon contact: Nicola Okey 020 7902 0182 / 07799 661345; nicolao@london-marathon.co.uk

The 2014 Virgin London Marathon takes place on Sunday 13 April 2014

Source: Virgin London Marathon Organisers