We are very happy to announce that we have a special allocation of TEN places for this year’s Berlin marathon on the Laureus team.

This year’s race is being held on 25th September and takes place along a course that takes in the beautiful sights of one of Continental Europe’s most historic locations.

Joining team Laureus will give you the opportunity to run in this unique event with passionate and enthusiastic people and will definitely prove to be a truly memorable occasion.

All we ask is that you wear a Laureus running top.

Any funds you are able to raise for your marathon efforts will go to help children across the world by offering them new and unique sports projects, thereby taking them away from the streets and offering them the best opportunities in life that they could possibly receive.

For more information please contact:

Rebecca Malcolm

Email: foundation@laureus.com

Two of our Academy members, Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson, have been told the result to a race a little different to that which they are used to taking part in: the race to be known as the most recognisable British Olympian.

In happier times, before the latest 'rivalry' began

Lord Coe, who won gold in the 1500 metres at the Moscow 1980 and defended his title at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, came first ahead of Thompson, also a double Olympic gold medal winner.

The pole was conducted by Visa and ended with Coe winning with 18% of the vote and had Daley following with 13%. Fellow Laureus Academy member Sir Steve Redgrave was close behind Daley with 12% of the vote.

Because of their long careers in athletics and through their mutual efforts supporting our Sport for Good Foundation, Seb and Daley have been excellent friends for a long time, so, despite the result, we are sure the two Olympians won’t have trouble getting along in the future.

At least we hope so…

What are your thoughts on the poll’s verdict? Do you think Daley deserved to have pipped Seb to the finish line? Or maybe another athlete altogether should have made the top three??

Let us know and if there are some particularly interesting nominations we will be sure to mention them on our Twitter page @LaureusSport

Today marks the point at which we are exactly one year to go until the start of London’s 2012 Olympic Games.

And, in London today, Olympic athletes past and present, including quite a few of our Laureus Academy members and Ambassadors, will be appearing at events to mark the occasion.

Also lined up, at an event in Trafalgar Square in the presence of International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, will be the reveal of the official London2012 medals.

Being an Olympic year, 2012 was always bound to be busy for us here at Laureus, but, since it’s to be held in our home city,  we are doubly excited about the plans we are making for next summer.

And, since many of us find it hard to believe that London was awarded the Games an entire SIX years ago already in 2005, we are sure the next year will really fly by.

We would love to hear what events you are most looking forward to… Were you lucky enough to get tickets for the events you wanted? Or, if you didn’t, how else do you think you will enjoy the Games come next summer??

Being such an important year for us, we would really enjoy reading your plans for next year’s Games.

Be in touch below or at Twitter on @LaureusSport

By all accounts, the performance of the England Cricket team over the past week at Lord’s against world number ones India was a great one; particularly when it comes to their bowling.

England win the first Test in the series against India at Lord's

As true as this may be, and as much as we hope here at Laureus that India’s loss will spur Sachin Tendulkar on to reach that 100th international century, there is something else that makes this test so memorable.

In addition to the heroics on the field, it is also the fantastic commitment of the fans, both for England and for India, and the way the Test truly excited such enthusiastic crowds, some queing at Lord’s from 2am for entry, that has made these 5 days of cricket so memorable.

This is the reason many cricket commentators have labelled this Test “The People’s Victory”.

Of course, such enthusiasm and commitment is only possible if those true cricket fans are given the opportunity to show their support in the first place. And, for this Test at Lord’s in particular, this was definitely the case.

As reported in today’s Daily Telegraph, Keith Bradshaw, Chief of the MCC, decided that, in order to open the occasion to the most fans as possible, final day tickets would be priced at a truly affordable level: £20 for adults, £10 for OAPs and under-16s were to be allowed in free.

The result was a record attendance that truly helped to add to the day’s cricket.

I was reminded of this when my colleague Shelly arrived back from South Africa this morning having spent the weekend helping at the fantastic Walk the Talk event.

One of the weekend’s events was a trip with some of Laureus Academy members to watch Premier League football team Tottenham Hotspurs take on the Orlando Pirates.

For much of the game, I was told, the stadium was only partly filled…

...at this point the stadium is just partly filled

However, after about half-time, at which point, even on a Saturday, people are just  finishing at work and so able to take their children out from home, the stadium really began to fill up.

And, so, shortly into the second half, the stands were bursting with fans, making the whole atmosphere so much more special than it had been without them.

Football is massively popular in South Africa, as this young fan shows...

...and the crowds really added to the atmosphere, making the game all the more special because of it.

So, from north-west London to Johannesburg in South Africa, this weekend really showed both what sport can mean to people, whether rich or poor, and how important the fans and crowd can be to sport.

Are there any sporting memories of yours that were made all the more special because of an excellent crowd? Maybe the game itself was average but, thanks to the fans and those you were with, it was made particularly memorable?

Let us know if you have any special moments like these in the box below and we will be sure to mention the most interesting on our Twitter @LaureusSport

It has been a really special few days for us here at Laureus as one of our busiest weekends took place in South Africa with a host of our Academy members and Ambassadors.

Taking part in what has become the largest mass participation event in the whole of Africa, Academy members Morne du Plessis and Mark Spitz joined with countless fitness enthusiasts at Johannesburg’s Walk the Talk.

Morne and Mark join the Walk in Johannesburg

This event has been, for some time now, a great opportunity for families to get together and enjoy the great South African city on foot. And, despite being the winter over there, and much to our jealousy here in London, the event was held in fantastic weather.

It was great to see some of our Academy members having such a fantastic time with so many of the participants…

Morne really got into the spirit of the event

From left to right: Mark Spitz, Baby Jake Matlala, Morne du Plessis, Desiree Ellis, Cynthia Tshaka and Foundation Trustee Ntambi Ravele

But it wasn’t all fun for the sport heroes…

Olympic legend Mark Spitz even helped hand out drinks...

The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa is one of the official charities of Walk the Talk and received a portion of funds raised.

And we are happy to say it is the Laureus project Johannesburg Cubs, who do excellent work offering multi-racial and cross-cultural cricket training to school children in the area, which will benefit directly from these funds.

Did you take part in this year’s Walk the Talk? Have you taken part in similar events in the past? We would love to hear what made yours so special…