Along with friend John Disley, Brasher secured sponsorship for the event then got the blessing of the Greater London Council, the police and athletics authorities to bring the marathon to the capital.
If we add to the mix Syrian subversion and sponsorshipof Hamas, and al-Qaida penetration of Jordan through Iraq - particularly in the eventof a US withdrawal - the danger that merging the west and east bank populations would manifest to the Hashemite regime becomes apparent.
That would mean relatively small expenditures for the big companies that dominate the event's sponsorship activity, a worthwhile price for boosting your image in front of thousands of wealthy sports fans.
The Visa deal is the latest example of the tight control that sponsors and global event organisers exert over arrangements after paying for sponsorship rights.