It is official, Kew Gardens are to host marathon trials for team GB. The contenders will battle it out for a place at the 2021 Olympics happening in Japan (which was postponed to next year because of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19).
The trials will take part on the 26th of March 2021 as part of the annual event Richmond RUNFEST due to the fact that the London Marathon (where the trials usually take place) was cancelled this year and the event will also double as the British Marathon Championship for 2021. The Richmond borough has been very important in British running history with it being the birthplace of the park run and the London Marathon, it is also the area where Sir Mo Farah worked and worked until he became the best. As well as being in the Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, Kew Gardens was also picked for its flat land and its ability to stay open throughout most of the pandemic (these characteristics gave it the edge over Dorney Lake near Windsor and the Manchester Marathon).
Runners will have to follow a 5.5km loop going around the botanical garden and it has been confirmed that the Olympic qualifying times would be 2:11:30 for men and 2:29:30 for women. The Olympic hopefuls would have big shoes to fill if they progress as they would be running alongside runners like Callum Hawkins and Alyson Dixon (who managed to come 9th and 28th last Olympics in Rio). For the amateur runners, a socially distanced 10K race will also occur on the weekend.
The event organisers hope that 'Richmond will once again rejuvenate the Olympic spirit of 2012 and make history again!'
