Dry and bright at the Blackheath start, sunny conditions for the mass field
1982 Ballot results
The datasheet
TCS London Marathon 1982 ballot: 2nd edition, 15,116 finishers
Hugh Jones won the 1982 Gillette London Marathon in 2:09:24 to become the first British men's champion, and with Joyce Smith taking the women's race in a British record 2:29:43 it remains the only year Britons won both elite titles.
Edition
2nd edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
15,116
Total finishers
Race day
May 9
1982
Good-for-age
M2:52 W3:38
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 1982 notable
The second London Marathon, run on Sunday 9 May 1982 under title sponsor Gillette, is the only edition in the event's history where Britons won both elite races. Hugh Jones became the first British men's champion, clocking 2:09:24 to beat Norway's Oyvind Dahl and Britain's Mike Gratton. Joyce Smith repeated her 1981 victory in 2:29:43, a British record, and at 44 years and 195 days became the oldest woman ever to win the race, a mark still standing. New Zealand's Lorraine Moller and Judith Hine completed the women's podium. The field had nearly doubled in a year: around 90,000 applied, 18,059 were accepted, about 16,350 started and 15,116 finished.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2011 → 2026
164K170K167K170K173K247K254K386K414K578K840K1.13M
'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'24'25'26
Qualifying
Good-for-age standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:52:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 40-44 | 2:57:00 | 3:43:00 |
| 45-49 | 3:02:00 | 3:46:00 |
| 50-54 | 3:07:00 | 3:53:00 |
| 55-59 | 3:12:00 | 3:58:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:34:00 | 4:23:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:52:00 | 4:53:00 |
| 70-74 | 4:52:00 | 5:53:00 |
| 75-79 | 5:07:00 | 6:13:00 |
| 80-84 | 5:27:00 | 6:38:00 |
| 85-89 | 6:10:00 | 7:10:00 |
| 90+ | 7:20:00 | 7:45:00 |
FAQ
Questions about the 1982 ballot
When was the 1982 London Marathon held?
Sunday 9 May 1982. It was the second running and was held under title sponsor Gillette.
Who won the 1982 London Marathon?
Britain's Hugh Jones won the men's race in 2:09:24, the first British men's champion of the event. Britain's Joyce Smith won the women's race in 2:29:43.
Why is the 1982 London Marathon significant for British running?
It is the only time Britons have won both the men's and women's races. Joyce Smith's 2:29:43 was a British record, and at 44 years 195 days she became the oldest woman to win the race.
How many runners finished the 1982 London Marathon?
15,116 finished. Around 90,000 people applied, 18,059 were accepted and about 16,350 started the race.
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