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By Eve, April 28, 2010 5:22 pm

Sunday April 25^th 2010 will be permanently etched in my brain as the day that I endured THE most pain, ever, in my life.  I’m sure many novice marathoners will totally agree.

Running a marathon is a full throttle assault on the senses and the body with the mental excitement and anticipation that is the culmination of months of training and the sheer physical endurance that it takes to run 26.2 miles.

This year saw lots of firsts for Virgin, with it being the first ever Virgin London Marathon. Both myself and our friend Bob Fear over at Virgin.com ran our first ever marathons and we had some great support from Virgin Balloon Flights who raised over £225 and £415 for our respective charities; Macmillan and Virgin Unite by holding charity auctions for hot air balloon rides. Thanks Virgin Balloon Flights!

Watch Bob’s brilliant London Marathon Virgin video which really gives you an idea of what it’s like on the day, what to expect and makes you realise that you can do it too!
Virgin Balloon Flights also had the very first Virgin Money balloon commissioned which looked fabulous on the day plus a brand new Virgin Balloon Flights balloon which spent the day bobbing merrily at the start line.

Here’s to the next one Bob?

Virgin Balloon Flights' Eve Ashwell still smiling at the end of the marathon

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By Alex, April 20, 2010 3:51 pm

Just four days to go until the first Virgin London Marathon on Sunday and we can’t wait to get two lovely new Virgin hot air balloons out and start supporting all of the brave runners!

We’re tethering one of our balloons plus Virgin Money’s balloon at the start line of the marathon and one person we’ll be especially looking out for will be Virgin.com’s very own Bob Fear.

First glimpse of our new 77-size Virgin balloon called G-VBFW which will be tethered at the London Marathon

Bob is one of 100 Virgin runners who are running the marathon with Sir Richard Branson and this year, as part of our annual charity effort, we have decided to support Bob in his fundraising by dontating two pairs of our champagne balloon flights to be autioned on eBay.

All proceeds will go to Virgin Unite the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group.  They’re all about connecting people to tackle tough social and environmental issues, using the Virgin Group’s entrepreneurial skills and energy.

A hot air balloon ride with us at Virgin Balloon Flights is a genuinely unique experience as no two balloon flights are ever the same. We’re the UK’s largest passenger carrying balloon company offering unforgettable airborne adventures and here’s your chance to win a pair of flights worth £198 each for a great charity at an amazing price.

But be quick as these lots end on Thursday (22 Apr, 2010 13:00:34 BST)

Virgin Balloon Flights Virgin Unite Auction 1

Virgin Balloon Flights Virgin Unite Auction 2

Good luck and don’t forget to look out for our hot air balloons at the marathon on television from early on Sunday morning.

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By Alex, March 19, 2010 11:32 am

Virgin Money's hot air balloon is put through its paces prior to the Virgin London Marathon - despite the fog!

They include a 70ft tall Virgin Money balloon, called G-VMVM or ‘ Mike’ for short, which has just been completed by Cameron Balloons. It will be under the control of pilot Kevin Meehan from Shropshire, while Mark Simmons from Bath will be the pilot for the other balloon. Both of the experienced flyers will be competing to see whose balloon is on TV the most.

Kenneth Karlstrom, Virgin Balloon Flights’ director and chief pilot, said: “It is fantastic that Virgin is sponsoring the London Marathon and we are thrilled to be involved in such an incredible event.

“We were delighted to be asked to commission the Virgin Money hot air balloon and we are looking forward to showing it off on the day.”

The London Marathon started in 1981 and, following this year’s race, will have raised over half a billion pounds for charity, making it the biggest fundraising event in the world. Around 36,000 runners are expected to take to the capital city’s streets this year, aiming to top last year’s incredible charity haul of £47.2 million.

Virgin Money are aiming to help runners raise more than £250 million for good causes over the next 5 years and have launched Virgin Money Giving a not-for-profit sponsorship website aimed at improving the way donations and Gift Aid are collected, ensuring more money goes to charities. Virgin Money Giving is the official fundraising website for the 2010 Virgin London Marathon and you can find out more at www.virginmoneygiving.org.uk