Photo via Athletics Weekly

Rock, Paper, Scissors settles elite race order for one-off Double TCS London Marathon

Organizers for the upcoming London Marathon have settled a scheduling question in an unusual manner. Catherine Debrunner and Sabastian Sawe engaged in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine whether the elite women or elite men would claim the premier Sunday slot for the 2027 edition.

Debrunner emerged victorious, securing the Sunday spot for the women's competition, while the men's races will take place on Saturday. This unique contest earned official recognition as a new Guinness World Records title for the first elite marathon start determined through the hand game.

The unprecedented shift to a two-day schedule stems from massive public interest, with applications topping 1.3 million following a previous year that saw over one million ballot entries. Chief executive Hugh Brasher emphasized that expanding the event into a weekend-long happening will accommodate a record-breaking 100,000 participants traveling along the iconic route from Greenwich to Westminster.

Organizers project the gathering will generate more than 150 million British pounds for charitable causes, marking a historic fundraising milestone. Brasher stressed that the temporary format adjustment is strictly a one-time occurrence designed solely for the 2027 running before returning to standard operations.

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