Athletics-London Marathon sets event record with more than 53,000 finishing
(Reuters) - More than 53,000 runners completed the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, a record for the event, race organisers said on Monday.

The number is a significant increase from last year's edition when 43,965 runners finished the race.

There were 54,281 runners who started after 65,725 registered to participate, with Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir setting a women's-only world record.

The event also set a world record for the biggest annual one-day fundraising event, with more than 67 million pounds ($82 million) having been raised so far, event director Hugh Brasher said.

"The total will continue to grow as many donations come in after the event weekend," he added.

($1 = 0.8123 pounds)

(This story has been corrected to show the number of finishers is an event record, not a world record, in the headline and paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
(Reuters) -     More than 53,000 runners completed the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, a record for the event, race organisers said on Monday.