Branson joins London marathon as runner and sponsor

By Antonella Ciancio

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - British billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Group of businesses spans music to space travel, is preparing to run his first marathon in 2010 to give a boost to London's biggest fundraising race.

Virgin Group announced on Friday it had signed a 17 million pound ($33 million) deal to replace Unilever's Flora as official sponsor of the London Marathon from 2010 for five years.

"I have actually avoided running since I was a child. I have practiced swimming and other sports, but I will do anything I can for fundraising", the 57-year-old entrepreneur told Reuters.

Branson, who set up a charity to help young people when he was 17, said he aims to freshen up the London event by relying on his deep-rooted experience in the entertainment industry.

"We want to create the biggest party Londoners have ever seen", he said.

Virgin also said it plans to launch a new website in April 2009, allowing users to enter the race, watch celebrities training and download music play lists.

Over 400 million pounds ($778 million) has been raised in sponsorship for charities since the London Marathon first took place in 1981, the organizers said.

In 2007, the London race earned a Guinness world record as the largest single annual fundraising event in the world, by raising a record breaking 46.5 million pounds ($90 million), organizers said.