Olympic Spirit At Bloomberg Square Mile Relay

The Olympic spirit was alive and kicking in central London on Thursday night, when two-time Olympic medallist Mark Hunter lined up amongst more than 1,000 runners taking part in the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay.

Cheered on by a crowd including his fellow Team GB rowing champions Tom James and Alex Partridge and three-time Paralympic medallist Liz Johnson, Hunter and his fellow runners lined up in teams of ten, with each competitor completing the unique one-mile course before handing over the baton to a teammate.

They pounded the central London streets, heading down alleyways, up staircases, over the top of London Wall and through an arcade of shops – all right at the heart of the Square Mile.

Hunter, more used to tackling choppy water, took on the London landscape, but confessed: “I didn’t know there were steps in the middle! It was great fun. It’s a tough mile – it hurt, but it was great fun. It’s brilliant to see so many people put themselves through it to be part of a team, and everyone really enjoyed it.”

At the end of it all 2010 champions Barclays took back their crown with a time of 51 minutes 12 seconds, beating Legal and General into second place by just 44 seconds. They were followed in by last year’s winners, Macquarie Bank, who completed the course in 53 minutes 51 seconds.

Along with the coveted trophy, the winning team were presented with a cheque for £5,000 to their designated charity, the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC). 

The fastest individual runner – showing the Olympians that London’s City workers can hold their own in elite sport – was David Nightingale of Capstone, with a time of 4 minutes 36 seconds.

Bloomberg has been Headline Partner of the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay for the past six years. The Bloomberg Square Mile Relay is also partnered with Virgin Active, the event’s Official Health Club Partner, and Sport, its Official Media Partner.