The youngest participant in the 2025 TCS London Marathon will celebrate her 18th birthday on Marathon Day.
Lucy Jones will celebrate her big day by taking on the 45th edition of the London Marathon, on Sunday 27 April, alongside her father, Chris.
Lucy, from Hull, is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Charity in memory of her mother, Clare, and grandmother, Joan. She may be the youngest participant in the event, but she is part of a trend of increased participation from young adults, with the largest growing demographic in this year’s TCS London Marathon being the 20 to 29 age group.
She said: “How many people can say they spent their 18th birthday running the TCS London Marathon?! It's going to feel like a massive achievement for me once it’s all done. And to be running in memory of my mum makes that much more special for both me and my dad.
“Running has enabled me to find a passion I didn't know was there. It's all about pushing through those hard days to prove to yourself and others that you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Callum Smillie will be the youngest male participant on the Start Line this year, as he takes part in the TCS London Marathon three days after his 18th birthday.
He will be running to raise money for Cancer Research UK in memory of his grandmother, Margaret, who passed away in October 2023 following a 14-year battle with cancer.
He said: “I am really looking forward to my first TCS London Marathon. Training has been going great so far. Running in memory of my grandma has motivated me so much this year. She was always so strong and brave, and I know she will be looking down on me and will be with me every step of the way.”
Lucy and Callum agreed that social media has played a role in inspiring more people to start running and physical activity.
Callum said: “I think social media is great for inspiring young people to take up running, as it highlights the stories and achievements of other runners.”
Lucy added: "I think many people are starting to run because of what they see online – they see people being active and enjoying themselves, so they want to do the same.
“However, social media can also make people feel they have to look a certain way when running, which can be discouraging. Everyone's journey is different, and specific to them. And I honestly believe that once you find that love for running, you’ll never stop loving it.”
At the other end of the age scale, joining the youngest participants on the Start Line this April will be more than 30 octogenarians (people aged between 80 and 89), including the oldest male, Mohan Kudchadker, and the oldest female, Mary Jo Brinkman, who will be 84 and 83, respectively, on Marathon Day.
They will both be travelling from the US to take part this year, with Mohan set to make his TCS London Marathon debut. Mary Jo, who has received an Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal, returns to London for the second time after completing the London Marathon in 2017, aged 75, in a time of 5:30:24.
Another of the octogenarians preparing for the London Marathon is 81-year-old June Allingan, a veteran of six London Marathons.
Oldham resident June took part in her first London Marathon in 2004 at 60 years old and, after making her sixth appearance last year, believed that would be her final time at the event. However, to her surprise, she qualified for a Good For Age place this year following her performance at the 2024 Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon.
Female runners like Lucy, Mary Jo and June were few and far between at the first London Marathon, in 1981, when fewer than 300 women completed the event, as opposed to nearly 6,000 men. In this year’s record-breaking ballot, by contrast, 49% of the UK ballot applicants were female.
Both Mary Jo and June acknowledged the impact the women taking part in the early years of the London Marathon have had on future generations and are glad that women today can take part in marathons without having to face the same barriers.
Mary Jo said: “The topic of women running marathons is very different now than in the 1980s. Women are accepted and encouraged in all marathons in 2025. I believe that if a woman trains and runs a marathon it will benefit all parts of her life, mentally, physically and socially.”
June added: “It is a testament to the determination and accomplishments of those women in overcoming many obstacles in the early days of long-distance running. I simply don't think that the topic of women running a marathon would even raise any significant attention these days, which shows you how normal it all feels now.”
June is relishing taking part in the TCS London Marathon once again and will be supported by her two sons, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren on Marathon Day. One of her proudest memories to date is when she ran the 2022 TCS London Marathon with her grandson, Jake.
She said: “I just love the London Marathon. It is the best. The electric atmosphere, the history, the landmarks. But for me, what makes it special is all the people lining the streets, rain or shine, who support and encourage everyone. That’s what makes the London Marathon so iconic.”
More than 56,000 people are expected to take part in the 45th edition of the London Marathon, on Sunday 27 April, when the event aims to become the world’s biggest marathon.