The Virgin London Marathon
St John Ambulance have been supporting
the London Marathon since it began and they are the sole first aid
provider at the event. Last year their 1,400 volunteers treated
over 5,000 participants.
This is St John Ambulance's largest regular support role and the
planning takes place throughout the year. An enormous array of
resources are mobilised during the event:
I think St John Ambulance is an amazing organisation. You only have to see the number of runners stopping for treatment to get a real understanding of the role they play during the marathon. Their help has saved lives; they are the unsung heroes of the day.
Lloyd Moreton
St John Ambulance marathon runner 2007
- 1,400 volunteers including doctors, nurses, paramedics and
trained first aiders of all ages. That's one volunteer for every
35 metres of the course
- 300 of the volunteers are St John Ambulance Cadets - young
people aged 10-18
- 68 ambulances are positioned around the course
- 41 first aid stations with volunteers ready to help
runners
- 88 lbs of petroleum jelly to help prevent chaffing and
blistering
- 5,000 foil blankets, 5,000 cotton wool balls, 1,000 vomit bags
and many other resources will be on hand to help runners
- Approximately 5,000 runners will stop for first aid support or
simply encouragement; the vast majority will go on to finish.
All these resources are provided through first aid training
income and donations.