Ready, steady, go! Ambulance Service warms up for Marathon this weekend

As the clock counts down to one of the capital’s largest annual events this Sunday, staff at London Ambulance Service are urging Londoners for their support over the busy Marathon weekend.

Around 300,000 spectators are expected to line the 26.2 mile course from Greenwich to Westminster with around 52,000 participants. And with additional visitors to the capital and tens of thousands taking part in an endurance sporting event, London Ambulance Service is expecting to see an increase in demand.

Cathy-Anne Burchett, who will be Strategic Gold Commander during the event, said:

“We hope everyone enjoys the incredible atmosphere of the London Marathon and we wish the very best of luck to those running.

“We have significant experience supporting the London Marathon and have robust plans in place to handle the potential for trips, slips and falls among the crowds including 150 extra staff in the event area and in control rooms.

“We’ll have teams on foot, paramedics on bicycles, ambulances and operational commanders in crowded areas of the Marathon to try to ensure crews reach the most seriously ill and injured patients as quickly as possible.

“However, we would ask Londoners to help us by only calling 999 in a life-threatening emergency. At the event, there will also be fixed first aid treatment centres provided by St John Ambulance and London Ambulance Service within the Marathon footprint.”

Among the 50,000 plus runners will be 10 LAS staff hoping to raise over £6,000 for London Ambulance Charity to fund wellbeing initiatives for frontline crews and call handlers and help save more lives by training London communities in life-saving skills.

Cathy-Anne said: “We’re proud to support participants and spectators during the Marathon, and we are delighted to have a group of our own dedicated staff members running for our own Charity – we will certainly be cheering them on!”

While the weather is expected to be overcast, event organisers are asking participants to follow medical guidance to stay safe.

Large crowds are expected, especially around St James’s Park, Cutty Sark, Canary Wharf and Canada Water, and they can take care of themselves with help from the Mayor’s Refill London initiative – a network of more than 100 drinking water fountains in busy parts of the capital. These can be found via the Refill app.

You can still sponsor the LAS charity’s runners though this JustGiving page. For more information about supporting London Ambulance Charity please visit our website.