Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

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How to use this lesson

12 Minutes

For the Teacher

• Use this 12-minute reading sheet for a quick warm-up or an appointment topic lesson.

• Give learners time to read on their own, then check answers together with the short keys below.

For the Learner

• Read the short article about the first London race carefully before you start.

• Answer the eight questions one by one, and check the evidence for each answer.

Community Sports News Reading time: 3 mins

The First London Marathon

A vintage street race in London in 1981, enthusiastic runners running on damp road on a cloudy drizzly morning, retro sp

The London Marathon is a big running race in London. Two friends, Chris Brasher and John Disley, started it. In 1979, Brasher ran in the New York City Marathon. A visit to that race gave the two friends the idea for a race in London. The first London Marathon was on Sunday 29 March 1981. On the first day, 7,055 people set off from Blackheath. The morning was damp and drizzly, with light rain. The runners were happy to be there and ran together across the city. Today, people still run this famous race every year.

💡 Words to know

marathon

a very long running race on city roads

damp

a little bit wet and cold outside

drizzly

having light rain in tiny drops

set off

started moving and began running

Useful sentence pattern for busy weeks

"I am not free on Friday because I am seeing the dentist at three o'clock."

Comprehension Practice

1 True or False

The London Marathon is a big running race in London.

____ True ____ False

2 True or False

The first London Marathon took place on a Monday.

____ True ____ False

3 Multiple Choice

Who were the two friends that started the London Marathon?

____ a. Chris Brasher and John Disley ____ b. Two runners from New York City ____ c. Two doctors from Blackheath

4 Multiple Choice

In which year did Chris Brasher run in the New York City Marathon?

____ a. 1975 ____ b. 1979 ____ c. 1981

5 Multiple Choice

What was the weather like on the morning of the first race?

____ a. Warm and sunny ____ b. Damp and drizzly ____ c. Windy and freezing cold

6 Matching

Match each item from the story to what it describes:

Item

Place

Year

Number

1981

____ Place ____ Year ____ Number

7,055

____ Place ____ Year ____ Number

Blackheath

____ Place ____ Year ____ Number

7 Short Answer

Where did the runners set off from on the first day?

Type the name of the place from the passage.

____

8 Short Answer

Which American city gave the two friends the idea for the London race?

Type the city name from the passage.

____

Reading: The First London Marathon

How to use this lesson

The First London Marathon

💡 Words to know

Comprehension Practice

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