It’s astonishing to think that the London Marathon taking place in just over a week’s time will be the 38th instalment of this amazing event. It comes just a few weeks after the death of Sir Roger Bannister, the first recorded person to run a mile in under four minutes.
Chris Brasher, the co-founder of the London Marathon back in 1981, had been one of Bannister’s two pacemakers in the landmark event of 1954, and his business interests later led to the foundation of Sweatshop and its sports clothing lines.
Brasher’s son Hugh is now Race Director for the London Marathon, so the sporting tradition continues in the family.
It’s also another event that has spawned a field of collecting, as a brief visit to eBay will show. Prices are still very affordable but the selection of London Marathon finisher medals now on offer shows that the future is bright for collectors of these sometimes quite garish items. Prices have yet to settle, but the long-term trend, as people lose or discard them, means older medals will become more sought after.
While one 1990 medal is currently on offer for £20, another has an asking price of £70. Top asking price is £80 for a 1995 medal, while the lowest is £3.99 for one from last year. It’s early days, but all of this shows the beginnings of an auction market for these pieces
