The London Marathon took place on the 24th of April, and saw approximately 40,000 people take on the 26.2 mile course. The annual race has become a national sporting institution and attracts huge numbers of people every year to participate and watch. There are races for men and women as well as a wheelchair race for each gender. Professional athletes take part alongside ordinary people raising money for a wide array of different charities.
The 2016 event included some incredible moments, including Eliud Kipchoge giving an outstanding performance to set a new course record as he won the men’s race. His time was just eight seconds off the world record. Jemima Sumgong won the women’s race with an equally impressive run, recovering well after experiencing a fall.
Another interesting record was set by British astronaut Tim Peake. He ran 26.2 miles on a treadmill at the International Space Station while circling the Earth. His performance set the record for the fastest time set in orbit after he completed the marathon in 3 hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds. This was an impressive 49 minutes faster than the previous record.
To celebrate the race, online estate agent House Simple created a map of the course that showed the average price for homes in each area along the route. The participants will have passed some valuable properties during the races, and it is fascinating to see which areas have the highest value.
The most valuable area was St. James where the race finished, with the average property price standing at £2.5 million. The most affordable location was Woolwich, furthest to the east, where the average price for a home was under £315,000.
The map was very revealing about house prices in London, demonstrating the difference between the high values in the west and the much more affordable prices in the east. It also shows higher valuations on the North shore as opposed to the South, as the top six areas were all to the north of the river. The data shows that on average, properties along the route gained £95,997 since the last London Marathon in 2015. The highest rise was in Embankment where values are up a huge 44%. Blackfriars had the smallest growth with just 4.2%.
The entry ballot for the 2017 Marathon will open on the 2nd of May, and we look forward to seeing how next year’s property market will appear. When it comes to property investment in Haringey, Greenwich, Kensington and Chelsea and all other areas of London, we will continue to keep a close eye on changes in the market so we can continue to provide our clients with expert advice and support.
