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UK: Mixed feelings over London Marathon
Thousands flock to participate and watch London's yearly marathon, that raises millions for charity. But while not exactly a shady business, there are questions of transparency and equity...
More than 35 thousand runners took part in the London Marathon yesterday, raising millions for charity. Official figures are not yet available but it is believed that over £30 million was raised – last year the race raised a record breaking £46.5 million.
Almost 70% of those taking part in the capital city?s yearly marathon, sponsored by Flora, did so to raise money for a good cause (to see a list of all the charities that participated click here). But, Times sports writer Simon Barnes reveals that while the London Marathon is certainly a ?Good Thing? it is not as egalitarian as it makes out to be.
?There?s nothing shady about it? he is quick to assure, but the money you think you are raising for cancer research, or to help the blind in India is not all making it to final destination. More than half of London Marathon?s runners do so because their charity pays £300 to Flora, the marathon organisers, which buys them ?golden bond? places in the race. This guarantees them a number of runners every year, runners who raise them large sums of money by participating. In essence, the charities are speculating by buying up these places and turning it into a profit.
The money doesn?t get lost along the way, but goes to good sporting causes in the London area. Still, this is not what donors think is happening to their money, so it raises questions of transparency. And then there is the question of the big charities having a better chance ? the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.
?It comes down to a question of honesty?, says Second Sight charity director Lucy Mathen. ?The public think that if you want to run for your favourite charity, the London Marathon will give you a place without favouring one charity over another. It doesn?t. They think the money they give a runner all goes to the charity he names. It doesn?t?. Mathen?s charity, Second Sight, fights blindness in India, by sending eye surgeons to India to perform cataract operations. Six runners wanted to run for Second Sight this year but couldn?t because they failed to win a place in the ballot. Mathen believes that speculating £300 is immoral, and concludes that: ?My view is that people who give money to charity don?t want to feel conned?.
But the London Marathon is still striking for its demonstration of good intents. Celebrities, athletes and the general public mix to make a colourful crowd, many dressed up eccentrically in a bid to raise even more for their chosen charity. This year the crowd was made more colourful than ever by the participation of six Maasai warriors from Tanzania in traditional dress (except for their feet: they donned recycled tyres as sandals) who were there to raise money to fund the provision of clean water for their village, Eluai, which is suffering from drought.
Dave Bedford, race director for the Flora Marathon said: ?We are delighted to be able to offer our assistance to these Maasai runners to raise money for their village. Water is something we take for granted, we are 100 per cent behind this?.
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