Modern Slavery Statement
Last updated on 30 June 2025
1. Introduction
1.1 This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year ended 31 December 2024 of London Marathon Events Limited and London Marathon Foundation.
1.2 The Statement has been approved by the LME Board of Directors and the LMF Trustee Board.
1.3 It also applies to all entities where LME holds a controlling interest, including Maverick Race Corp, Loch Ness Marathon Limited, Caledonian Concepts (Scotland) Limited, and Running High Limited.
2. Organisation Structure and Supply Chains
2.1 London Marathon Foundation (LMF or the Foundation) is the trading name of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, a UK-registered charity (No. 283813) and company limited by guarantee (No. 01550741). It is one of the UK’s leading charitable funders of physical activity initiatives.
2.2 Its wholly owned subsidiary, London Marathon Events Limited (LME) (Company No. 01528489), is responsible for organising some of the UK’s largest mass-participation events, together the London Marathon Group (LMG or the Group).
2.3 LMG is united by a shared vision of “Inspiring Activity”. Surpluses generated by LME’s events are corporate gift-aided to the Foundation to fund community grants aligned with the Group’s mission.
2.4 LME holds the majority of commercial relationships with third-party suppliers, who form the Group’s supply chain. These suppliers provide a wide range of goods and services essential to the planning and delivery of LME’s events, as well as the Group’s broader charitable activities. This Statement applies to both LME and the Foundation, and any other subsidiaries operating under the LMG umbrella.
3. Policies in Relation to Slavery and Human Trafficking
3.1 LMG is committed to ensuring that modern slavery and human trafficking have no place in any part of its business or supply chains.
3.2 To this end, the Group has implemented and continues to strengthen policies and procedures designed to uphold the highest ethical standards across all operations. These include:
a. a Whistleblowing Policy that protects employees who report concerns;
b. a Pay Policy and a range of People policies ensuring fair pay and treatment; and
c. a Supplier Code of Conduct (incorporated into LME’s standard terms and conditions) covering labour practices and wage standards.
4. Due Diligence Processes
4.1 LMG’s due diligence processes include:
a. Ensuring all directly engaged employees have the right to work in the UK and are paid at least the London Living Wage when working for LME or LMF and the Living Wage when working for subsidiary companies.
b. Prioritising direct engagement of workers wherever possible, to retain control over employment conditions.
c. Requiring supplier declarations confirming compliance with anti-slavery laws and ethical labour standards.
4.2 In the 2024 financial year, LME and LMF worked together to:
a. identify high-risk suppliers based on service or goods category;
b. request relevant documentation (policies, audits) from these suppliers;
c. encourage high-risk suppliers to enrol in Sedex, a collaborative ethical database; and
d. embed ethical requirements into supplier terms, tender documentation, and internal procurement procedures.
5. Risk Assessment and Management
5.1 LMG takes a risk-based approach to identifying and addressing the risk of modern slavery within its operations and supply chain. This includes:
a. performing risk assessments based on geography, industry sector, and type of service or goods provided;
b. incorporating modern slavery risks into procurement and compliance strategies; and
c. continuing to review supplier relationships for compliance, with additional scrutiny on temporary labour providers, apparel, logistics, and site services.
6. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
6.1 To measure the effectiveness of our efforts, LMG monitors the following KPIs:
| KPI | Target 2024/2025 | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| per cent of high-risk suppliers reviewed annually | 100 per cent | All identified high-risk suppliers should be reviewed at least once a year |
| per cent of new suppliers assessed for modern slavery risk | 100 per cent | Ensures due diligence is embedded into onboarding and procurement |
| per cent of tenders and contracts including anti-slavery clauses | 100 per cent | Standard contractual protection against unethical practices |
| per cent of staff completing Modern Slavery awareness training | > 95 per cent | Allows for onboarding variability while still pushing near-complete coverage |
| per cent of suppliers enrolled in Sedex or similar ethical supply platforms | > 75 per cent of high-risk suppliers | Reflects strong adoption among high-risk groups without overburdening all |
| per cent of procurement team trained in responsible sourcing | 100 per cent | Ensure internal capability to manage ethical procurement |
7. Training on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
7.1 Modern Slavery awareness training will be mandatory as part of induction for all new LME and LMF staff and its subsidiaries, with a minimum pass mark required. This training ensures employees understand:
a. how to identify potential red flags in the supply chain;
b. what tools are available to help them escalate concerns; and
c. their obligations when procuring goods or services.
8. Plans for 2025/26
8.1 In the coming year, LMG will:
a. roll out the supplier questionnaire more broadly across procurement;
b. continue to promote supplier participation in ethical databases and support supply chain audits;
c. encourage the usage of the Responsible Procurement Toolkit, raising awareness of ethical decision-making; and
d. make Modern Slavery training compulsory for all existing staff, not just new hires.