BMW Motorcycles at London Marathon
BMW Motorrad’s motorcycles have played a key role in the success of the Virgin London Marathon. Over 35,000 people from around the world take to the streets of the capital Sunday, April 21, for one of the biggest marathons ever held.
Organizing, securing, filming and timing such an event is a huge task, but one which has once again been made easier with the assistance of BMW Motorrad.
A fleet of 17 BMW motorcycles: R 1200 GS and GS Adventure bikes, F 800 GT middleweight tourers and R 1200 RT touring bikes – were all involved in the build up and execution of one of the biggest sporting events in the United Kingdom.
The bikes lent themselves to the roles required by the London Marathon and the hundreds of people helping to make the event a success.
The R 1200 RTs provided stable mobile filming platforms for the BBC crews who were broadcasting live footage worldwide, while the R 1200 R and GS motorcycles were used as timing bikes, proving deft at navigating the packed city streets and following the runners.
While the London Marathon is a serious athletic race, the vast majority of runners are ordinary members of the public. A huge 80% of entrants run in support of a chosen charity or cause. The Marathon holds the Guinness World Record as the largest annual fund raising event, with approximately £50 Million raised for charity by runners and sponsors each year. The 2013 race’s main beneficiaries are Age UK and YouthNet.
Lee Nicholls (Marketing Manager for BMW Motorrad) says: “The London Marathon is a fantastic event which highlights both the charitable nature of the British people and their innate sense of humor – with many runners entering in often uncomfortable and unsuitable fancy dress to raise extra money for their chosen charities. BMW Motorrad UK is very proud to be able to assist with such a prestigious and positive event.
“An event like this demonstrates how versatile the BMW Motorrad range of motorcycles is. The refined R 1200 RT used as camera bikes for the BBC crews being praised as the most stable they’ve ever worked with, thanks in part to the Electronic Suspension Adjustment which allowed them to alter the bike’s setup for different loads and sections of the 26.2 mile race while the new F 800 GT proved more than capable when gliding between runners and assisting with timing.
“BMW Motorrad UK has worked with the London Marathon for many years now, as well as providing motorcycles to support the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is fantastic to be able to help make such prestigious and popular events take place.”
For more information about BMW Motorrad models, visit bmw.motorrad.co.uk contact your local BMW Motorrad dealership.