London Marathon


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This page last updated 23 April 2023

This list covers the Ever Present Group from it's foundation in 1996 to-date. After the 1995 London Marathon our group was acknowledged by the powers that be and we were awarded with a special commemorative medal, sweatshirt and a guaranteed entry for future London's. At that time we numbered 42 - we are now down to 7.

Rank means rank within the Ever Presents.

If you would like to view fuller details of any athlete, including each year's times, simply click on any underscored surnames.

Num Name Name Club Age in 1981 Rank Time 1981   Rank Time 2023
1 Christopher Adams Orion Harriers 38 13 02:49:37      
2 Alastair Aitken Highgate Harriers 41 16 02:53:01      
3 Jeff Aston Les Croupiers 33 14 02:49:53   6 08:08:01
4 Geoffrey Balfour Huncote Harriers   9 02:45:00      
5 Reginald Brown SLH 49 27 03:07:38      
6 Reginald Burbidge Highgate Harriers 55 41 03:54:17      
7 Rainer Burchett Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers 41 22 02:58:30      
8 Dr Harold Chadwick Bournemouth /TH&H 34 1 02:24:10      
9 David Clark Newbury AC 45 17 02:53:55      
10 Charles Cousens Vale of Aylesbury 38 21 02:58:13      
11 Patrick Dobbs Thurrock Harriers 42 8 02:41:37      
12 Erik Falck-Therkelsen Woking AC 40 23 02:59:59      
13 David Fereday Barnet & District 42 32 03:13:55      
14 Chris Finill Harrow AC 22 4 02:32:55   1 03:21:00
15 Derek Fisher Newport Harriers 45 19 02:56:22      
16 Jeffrey Gordon Thames H&H 47 31 03:13:42      
17 Peter Greenwood Canterbury Harriers AC 38 10 02:46:53      
18 John Hanscombe Ranelagh Harriers 45 18 02:54:29      
19 Jan Hildreth Thames H&H 48 36 03:25:37      
20 Raymond Johnson Kimberley & Dist. Striders 48 29 03:11:00      
21 Kenneth Jones Orion Harriers 47 34 03:18:37   7 08:54:01
22 Max Jones Birchfield Harriers 53 40 03:51:52      
23 John Legge Orion Harriers 50 24 03:02:35      
24 Roger Low Highgate Harriers 37 11 02:47:55      
25 Dale Lyons Massey Ferguson RC 44 28 03:10:03      
26 Terence Macey New Eltham Joggers 32 33 03:17:56      
27 Lionel Mann Belgrave Harriers 40 25 03:06:07      
28 Don Martin Royal Parks Police 40 42 04:10:00      
29 Roger Mawer Lowestoft 40 20 02:58:04      
30 Mick McGeoch Les Croupiers 25 2 02:24:19      
31 William O’Connor QPH 35 5 02:35:52   3 05:57:59
32 Michael Peace Ranelagh Harriers 31 30 03:11:45   2 04:20:06
33 Mike Peel Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC 39 7 02:40:30      
34 Derrick Pickering East Hull Harriers 44 6 02:38:38      
35 Bryan Read Orion Harriers 40 35 03:24:05      
36 Peter Shepheard Blackheath Harriers 38 3 02:29:47      
37 Dr Malcolm Speake Biddleston Bounders 39 12 02:47:58   4 06:56:16
38 Michael Starr St.Albans Striders 37 38 03:47:11      
39 Tony Tillbrooke Victory AC 41 37 03:42:24      
40 David Walker Chalfont & Chiltern 35 26 03:06:11   5 7:38:39
41 Steve Wehrle Dulwich Runners AC 32 39 03:51:26      
42 Michael Wilkinson Duke Street Runners 42 15 02:52:51      

 

28 April 2019

For a while the stats showed an uncanny fit to losing an average of 1.5 runners a year. Recently you’ve been beating the odds and we only lost one this year (Dale, sorry this eventually had to end).

So we have 4 more EPs than we might have expected statistically. I’m sure you will all want to complete the 40th if at all possible

Rainer

 

Year   Ever-present   1.5 times   Expected   Discrepancy
    Number   no. years   at 1.5 loss   Actual less
    of finishers       per year   Expected
                 
1995   42   0   42   0
1996   42   1.5   40.5   1.5
1997   41   3   39   2
1998   41   4.5   37.5   3.5
1999   40   6   36   4
2000   39   7.5   34.5   4.5
2001   36   9   33   3
2002   35   10.5   31.5   3.5
2003   29   12   30   -1
2004   29   13.5   28.5   0.5
2005   28   15   27   1
2006   25   16.5   25.5   -0.5
2007   24   18   24   0
2008   22   19.5   22.5   -0.5
2009   21   21   21   0
2010   20   22.5   19.5   0.5
2011   18   24   18   0
2012   16   25.5   16.5   -0.5
2013   15   27   15   0
2014   14   28.5   13.5   0.5
2015   12   30   12   0
2016   12   31.5   10.5   1.5
2017   11   33   9   2
2018   11   34.5   7.5   3.5
2019   10   36   6   4

 

22 April 2018
After tracking our 1.5 a year average loss for so long, the last 4 years, losing only 1 EP, have blown that correlation out of the  window.  As expected perhaps as the sample gets smaller.  We now know we will lose at least 1 by this time next year, I’ll be delighted if that is the only loss even though my record as a forecasting statistician will take a beating!

 

23 April 2017
I attach my stats showing actual v expected numbers of finishers. With only 1 loss this year and none last year we are beating the odds. It would take losing 3 next year to bring the average back to the longer term trend. Heres hoping for continual defiance of the odds!

 

25 April 2016
I’ve updated my little table from last year. Because we had all 12 finishing this year, this is the first year since 2003 that the discrepancy between expected (given an average of 1.5 a year dropping out) and actual is greater than the minimum of 0.5 people (in odd years only)! I wonder if we will back “on track” this time next year?

 

28 April 2015
I noticed several years ago that our numbers started tracking the number of years since we were formed as a group of 42 very precisely with an annual average loss of 1.5 runners per year. Struck with the perfect match this year I’ve filled an idle moment by producing the attached spread sheet showing how the actual numbers compare with the postulated algorithm of 1.5 a year.

We lost a bit below average for the first few years but made up for it by losing 6 in 2003. Since then the tracking has been uncannily close with the discrepancy never more than 1 person and for the last 10 years either at 0 or +/- 0.5 which is a close as you can get given that runners come in whole units!

We all know that extrapolation is not a cast iron accurate guide to the future but this suggests that the last runner has another 8 years and Chris may not reach his target of 50. However Chris is notably younger than the rest of us so I actually think his chances are a good deal better than the algorithm suggests.

Best of luck to the survivors in their quest to beat the algorithm!

Regards

Rainer

 

 

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