Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon | OneFootball

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·1 October 2022

Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon

Article image:Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon

England heroes Leah Williamson, Jill Scott and Ellen White will be the official starters of the London Marathon tomorrow.

Williamson captained the Lionesses to victory in the Euro 2022 final in July –– ending England’s 56-year wait for a major trophy.


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White and Scott, who are two of England’s most capped players ever, were also a part of Sarina Wiegman’s squad, though both have now retired from professional football.

What have the players said?

Speaking on the honour of being asked to start one of Britain’s most famous sporting events, Williamson said: “It is a fantastic honour for the Lionesses to be asked to be the official starters for the 2022 TCS London Marathon. We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience winning the Euros this summer with incredible support and I’m sure everyone taking part in this year’s TCS London Marathon will also have a day they will never forget.”

Meanwhile, Scott revealed that the race will bring back memories for her, having won the under-15s girls race in the 2001 Mini London Marathon.

“This will bring back some special memories for me too,” she said. “I won the Mini Marathon back in 2001 before I decided to focus on my football and crossing the line first on The Mall was an amazing feeling. Part of the joy of our success this summer was hearing how it inspired young people to get out and play football or any sport and the Mini London Marathon has exactly the same power.”

Article image:Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon

How did the Lionesses make history?

Euro 2022 was a transformational tournament, not just for England, but for women’s football in general.

Hosted on home soil, the competition saw record crowds across multiple parts of the country and garnered new fans, both young and old.

In front of a record European crowd of more than 87,000, Williamson’s side beat arch-rivals 2-1 in the final at Wembley –– restoring national pride at long last.

Article image:Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon

The Lionesses were immediately swept into the public eye and even had a victory celebration at Trafalgar Square.

Since the victory, a number of England stars have been invited to various sporting events across the country and being offered the chance to be the starters of the London Marathon is the latest of these honours.

What is the London Marathon?

The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London each year.

First established in 1981, the race is set around the River Thames –– starting in Blackheath and finishing at The Mall.

Eliud Kipchoge holds the record for a male competitor, while Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has held the women’s record since 2003.

The event was typically held in April but has been moved to October since 2020, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Article image:Williamson, Scott, White: England heroes to be starters of London Marathon

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