22/04/2012

:00:16. > :00:21.Welcome to London, to Buckingham Palace, to the mile, the most

:00:21. > :00:28.famous address in London and the scene of some of the nation's

:00:28. > :00:34.greatest celebrations. And here is where we started to dream of what

:00:34. > :00:39.the London Olympics might be like and where we hope we will see gold

:00:39. > :00:45.and glory in July. It is where we have seen some of the finest

:00:45. > :00:49.marathon performances ever. Today it is where we will see the world's

:00:50. > :00:55.best distance runners try to win the race and booked their places

:00:55. > :01:02.for the Olympic Games. It is worth 35,000 runners of all ages, shapes

:01:02. > :01:07.and sizes can compete in the same race as the world's best to

:01:07. > :01:17.challenge themselves, to raise money, to achieve the magical goal

:01:17. > :01:17.

:01:17. > :02:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:02:14. > :02:18.of 26 miles, 385 yards. This is the Good morning and welcome to

:02:18. > :02:22.Blackheath. It is a cold morning in South East London with a threat of

:02:22. > :02:27.rain it later in the day, but that will not dampen the spirits of

:02:27. > :02:32.those taking part because this is one of the most inspirational days

:02:32. > :02:36.in sport. The London Marathon is an immense challenge, physically,

:02:36. > :02:42.mentally and emotionally. Here are some of the athletes and the

:02:42. > :02:45.stories we will be following. Today is all about courage and commitment,

:02:46. > :02:51.but these two rugby league favourites require endurance as

:02:51. > :02:56.well. We will hear the latest on their epic journey from Palace --

:02:56. > :03:02.Paris to the Mall. It is also about making an impression. Can one of

:03:02. > :03:08.the British women competing today claim that final place in Team GB?

:03:08. > :03:12.It is about making a difference. Jane Tomlinson did just that,

:03:12. > :03:16.inspiring millions and raising millions. 10 years on from her

:03:16. > :03:23.first London Marathon, her husband and daughter continued fund-raising

:03:23. > :03:26.to keep her memory and legacy alive. The elite racers promise more fast

:03:26. > :03:35.times and thrilling finishes, with Olympic selection still an issue

:03:35. > :03:41.for many, a including Mary Keitany, last year's impressive winner. Her

:03:41. > :03:49.competition includes a strong Kenyan Quartet, featuring Florence

:03:49. > :03:51.Kiplagat. David Weir became the first man to win five titles. Today

:03:52. > :03:56.he could equal Tanni Grey- Thompson's 6 London victories, but

:03:56. > :04:03.he will have to do it the hard way against the strongest field ever

:04:04. > :04:07.assembled. There is talent galore in the men's rays also. After

:04:07. > :04:14.smashing the course record, Emmanuel Mutai is back to defend

:04:15. > :04:20.his title, up against Patrick Makau who erase Haile Gebrselassie's

:04:20. > :04:24.world record last year. It promises to be an intense battle at the

:04:24. > :04:28.front and an immense struggle further down the field as once

:04:28. > :04:33.again many well-known faces take up the challenge alongside those

:04:33. > :04:41.raising money for charity and others overcoming adversity.

:04:41. > :04:46.Prepare to be touched, moved and inspired by their stories today. We

:04:46. > :04:52.have all that to look forward to. 2012 is very special and that is

:04:52. > :04:57.reflected in the Virgin London Marathon. In the Diamond Jubilee

:04:57. > :05:03.yet the royal presence will be at the finish line today. Prince Harry

:05:03. > :05:07.will be presenting the prizes. At the start, 95 days and so will the

:05:07. > :05:13.London Olympics, they will be sent on their way by an Olympian, a very

:05:13. > :05:17.special athlete indeed. She was the first British woman to win an

:05:17. > :05:24.athletics British medal and she is 92 years young, having won her

:05:24. > :05:31.first in 1936. Dorothy Tyler, it is lovely to meet you. You were just

:05:31. > :05:37.16, what was your first impression of the Olympics in Berlin? You come

:05:37. > :05:40.upon it suddenly. Suddenly there is this great big plays with lots of

:05:40. > :05:49.people with walking around and flags like mad, especially in

:05:49. > :05:55.Germany with a swastika on. You get into its hands know where you are.

:05:55. > :06:01.Of course, the men had an Olympic Village, you might say, which the

:06:01. > :06:10.women were not allowed in. We were taken off in buses to a freezing

:06:10. > :06:15.house, it was called that because it was a woman's PE college.

:06:15. > :06:20.have got wonderful memories. I am writing a book. It is a good place

:06:20. > :06:30.to mention the boat. You jump in the conventional way and you are

:06:30. > :06:34.

:06:34. > :06:40.very much against the Fosbury flop. Yes, I told them not to do that.

:06:40. > :06:46.Even now in the over 80s you have been a golf champion three times?

:06:46. > :06:56.Yes, three times. When I competed you were not allowed to put your

:06:56. > :07:00.head over first because it weighs more than the rest of your body. An

:07:00. > :07:06.American athlete cleared the world record, but her head went over

:07:06. > :07:10.first and they took it away from her. I see. Congratulations and it

:07:10. > :07:15.is lovely to see you and to have the honour of sending them on their

:07:15. > :07:18.way. Dorothy knows what it means to win an Olympic medal, but even

:07:18. > :07:24.taking part in the Games is something to be immensely proud of

:07:24. > :07:30.and that is the target for many of the British runners today.

:07:30. > :07:37.Just one golden ticket remains. Paula Radcliffe secured her place

:07:37. > :07:41.for 2012, so too has Mara Yamauchi. Today's rays will be deciding who

:07:41. > :07:47.fills that treasured final spot. Jo Pavey put her marker down with a

:07:47. > :07:52.time of 2 hours 28 minutes and 24 seconds last year, well inside the

:07:52. > :07:56.Olympic qualifying standard of two hours and 31. Today she watches and

:07:56. > :08:03.waits hoping none of her British rivals better that time and steal

:08:03. > :08:08.her thunder. I am Liz Yelling. former Commonwealth Games bronze

:08:08. > :08:12.medallist and now a 37-year-old mother is bidding for her third

:08:12. > :08:16.victory in the marathon. If experience counts, she could have

:08:16. > :08:24.the last shirt on selection. I have got the pedigree, but I have not

:08:24. > :08:29.shown it in the last three years. am Louise Damen. Louise made her

:08:29. > :08:34.debut last year and was the second finisher in exactly two-and-a-half

:08:34. > :08:39.hours. A teacher and self coached athlete, she needs no educating in

:08:39. > :08:45.the task at hand. We have to run better than we have ever run before

:08:46. > :08:51.and that makes it relatively simple. You have got to give it your best.

:08:51. > :08:55.Claire Hallissey. She is based in the United States where she sliced

:08:56. > :09:04.seven minutes of her personal best in Chicago last October to achieve

:09:04. > :09:08.the Olympic qualifying standard. It has been done before and cheap fix

:09:08. > :09:15.the template. We are all aware of what Jo Pavey has done and we will

:09:15. > :09:20.be trying to do better than her time, and it is going to be a

:09:20. > :09:30.strong race. Scott Overall has his Olympic tickets courtesy of an

:09:30. > :09:35.amazing run in Berlin last year. Two places remain open. He will be

:09:35. > :09:39.pace-setting today for the likes of Benedict Whitby who came 11th in

:09:39. > :09:49.Berlin but he missed out on the Olympic qualifying time. It is

:09:49. > :09:50.

:09:50. > :09:54.tough. Not many British people have run under 2.12. Lee Merrien has

:09:54. > :09:59.warned that the Great Britain vest with pride. His 40th place finish

:09:59. > :10:03.in London last year means he took almost two minutes of his personal

:10:03. > :10:08.best and it offers some encouragement of now making the

:10:08. > :10:13.Olympic cut. When you run the London Marathon in an Olympic year,

:10:13. > :10:18.it makes it even more special. is a very important day and we wish

:10:18. > :10:23.them well. I am here at the start and I will be talking to some of

:10:23. > :10:27.the celebrities. But down at the start, deep into Greenwich Park is

:10:27. > :10:33.Jonathan Edwards. Who have you got with you?

:10:33. > :10:38.Very appropriately I am in the bandstand. I have got James, Jeremy

:10:38. > :10:45.and Clare beside me. Tell me about the charity you are running for?

:10:45. > :10:53.Inspired does work with people with spinal cord injuries. We are hoping

:10:53. > :10:56.to raise �10,000 today. Tell me about the cello. We have all been

:10:56. > :11:02.cellists since childhood and we decided it would be fun to do

:11:02. > :11:07.extreme things with them, a bit like the extreme mile, but a more

:11:07. > :11:15.musical version. It is the first time you have done a marathon?

:11:15. > :11:25.the first time. Have you been training with them? Yes, we have.

:11:25. > :11:34.

:11:34. > :11:39.And you finishing quote will be? Wonderful, don't they want to make

:11:39. > :11:43.it hard on themselves. More from Jonathan a bit later on. If you

:11:43. > :11:52.know someone who is running today, and you want to send them a message,

:11:52. > :11:56.you can text us on the usual number, or you can tweet us. We will be

:11:56. > :12:01.running some of those messages later on in the day after the elite

:12:01. > :12:04.racers have finished. The first is the women's race, which is off at 9

:12:04. > :12:08.o'clock and Colin Jackson has been over there to meet some of those

:12:08. > :12:12.taking part. Yes, indeed. I am standing outside

:12:12. > :12:18.the elite women's tent and this is where all the action will take

:12:18. > :12:23.place. The best marathon runners in the world assembled here. I am

:12:23. > :12:28.interested in talking to one young lady. She has represented Scotland

:12:28. > :12:33.at 10,000 metres and 5000 metres, but this will be her marathon debut.

:12:33. > :12:39.There has been a lot said about her and there is a lot at stake because

:12:39. > :12:47.the third spots for the Olympic Games is up for grabs. Her name is

:12:47. > :12:52.Freya Murray. How are you feeling? Nervous, but excited. You have come

:12:52. > :12:56.to this competition in good shape. You have run a personal best.

:12:56. > :13:02.that was a good stepping stone to theirs, so we are hoping today will

:13:02. > :13:06.go well. You are not the only person up for that third place?

:13:06. > :13:11.definitely not, there will be a good bunch going for us, so it

:13:11. > :13:16.should be a good race. The British as well those in front as well.

:13:16. > :13:22.wish you all the best indeed and I will be looking out for you. Thank

:13:22. > :13:28.you. The London Marathon has grown into one of the world's truly

:13:28. > :13:31.iconic races. Open to all ages and abilities with people sharing the

:13:31. > :13:36.tarmac with their running he raised. It does not matter how fast you are

:13:36. > :13:42.or how experienced you are, everyone is nervously awaiting the

:13:42. > :13:47.start. What an exciting day this is, the colour, the costumes and the

:13:47. > :13:53.camaraderie. As you can see it is a lovely, bright, sunny start, which

:13:53. > :13:58.is great for the runners, but it is very cold, I can tell you that.

:13:58. > :14:02.There is a chance of showers later on this morning and getting heavier

:14:02. > :14:08.this afternoon. Now for the course and this is what the runners can

:14:08. > :14:12.look forward to. It is relatively flat and fast. There are three

:14:12. > :14:17.starting points at Blackheath and when the race gets under way they

:14:17. > :14:21.head east into Charlton and Woolwich for the first three miles.

:14:21. > :14:26.Then it they turn west through Greenwich before reaching the Cutty

:14:26. > :14:31.Sark. The cause of this year is returning to pass by this famous

:14:31. > :14:35.landmark that has been restored after the fire of five years ago.

:14:36. > :14:40.The runners stay south of the river as they head towards Tower Bridge.

:14:40. > :14:44.The bridge is a boost for tired legs as it signals the halfway

:14:44. > :14:50.point is not far away. After crossing the River Thames the

:14:50. > :14:55.course turns east along The Highway and on to Docklands. After a tour

:14:55. > :15:00.around the Isle of Dogs the next major landmark is Canary Wharf, the

:15:00. > :15:06.19 mile mark. From there they head back towards St Katharine's Dock

:15:06. > :15:10.and the Tower of London and Castle and prison founded in 1066. Now

:15:10. > :15:14.there is just four miles to go through the City of London and

:15:14. > :15:19.alongside the banks of the River Thames until they reached Big Ben

:15:19. > :15:25.and Parliament Square. Just one mile remains as they pass by the

:15:25. > :15:33.most famous site of all, Buckingham Palace, followed by the most

:15:33. > :15:39.welcome sight of all, the finish Excitement and amazement can

:15:39. > :15:44.describe our commentators after being locked away in Television

:15:44. > :15:52.Centre. They have a mobile comentribox. I can speak to Brendan

:15:52. > :15:58.Foster. This is quite a change? is unbelievable, Sue. I've seen 817,

:15:58. > :16:02.819 runners cross the finishing line. In all 32 running events I've

:16:02. > :16:05.commentated on. For the first time ever, I'll see a human being in the

:16:05. > :16:14.London Marathon. I'll see the finish line of the London Marathon.

:16:14. > :16:20.It is remarkable for me. You see, they are so easily pleased. Enjoy

:16:20. > :16:24.your day. They have a wonderful view of the finish, The Mall and

:16:24. > :16:32.Buckingham Palace. There's another famous landmark in London which

:16:32. > :16:39.features once again on the course. The Cutty Sark first laufrplged in

:16:39. > :16:44.1869 carrying tea from India to London. It was moved from dry dock

:16:44. > :16:49.to Greenwich where it the was put on dry dock. There was a plan to

:16:49. > :16:59.raise the vessel three metres to relieve pressure on the hull but

:16:59. > :17:04.

:17:04. > :17:13.then, disaster. Fire ripped through the vessel in May 2 ,000 7. The

:17:13. > :17:17.damage was extensive. But Cutty Sark structure was amazingly still

:17:17. > :17:22.in tact. Restoration began again using much of the ship's original

:17:22. > :17:26.timbers. Five years on, this much- loved ship has reached its new

:17:26. > :17:33.elevated position where it will sit in a sea of glass overlooking the

:17:33. > :17:38.Thames towards the city of London. It opens again for visitors later

:17:38. > :17:45.this week. That is one of the landmarks facing

:17:46. > :17:50.these two today. They are from St Helens, Steve Prescott and Paul

:17:50. > :17:55.Sculthorpe. We mentioned this incredible eight-day endurance

:17:55. > :18:04.challenge. How are you feeling? Pretty tired, Sue. But we're here

:18:04. > :18:09.and in it to win it. You have some Jiri problems. I can smell the

:18:09. > :18:13.linament. An all-over body massage this morning. An incredible journey.

:18:13. > :18:18.We started with the Paris marathon last Sunday. We cycled the day

:18:18. > :18:22.after and the day after that. We rowed the channel yesterday. We got

:18:22. > :18:27.permission in galeforce four winds over the channel. The ten-foot

:18:27. > :18:33.waves. We got there with the help of ex-team-mates. We got there last

:18:33. > :18:38.night. We got back to our hotel at about 9.00 last night. Paul, you

:18:38. > :18:43.hadn't even run a marathon. And you're doing two in one week?

:18:43. > :18:48.made me marathon debut in Paris last Sunday. It was a tough one but

:18:48. > :18:52.we've had a fabulous week for two gate causes. Really looking forward

:18:52. > :18:56.to today. Steve's done two before. Looking forward to it. Let's

:18:56. > :19:03.mention the foundation. The reason you're running. Take us back to

:19:03. > :19:08.2006 when you were training to run and tell us what happened. I was in

:19:08. > :19:13.2006 I was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer and begin

:19:13. > :19:16.months to live. I'm here now, five, six years later, running marathons

:19:16. > :19:25.and doing endurance events. You take each day as it comes. Keep

:19:25. > :19:30.going and get on with life. He's an inspiration, Paul? He is. When I

:19:30. > :19:35.was asked to do this, how could I refuse. The man's an inspiration.

:19:35. > :19:39.hope you raise lots and lots of money. See you at the finish

:19:40. > :19:44.whatever time it is. competitive streak in both of us,

:19:44. > :19:50.we'll give it a good go today. There are many reasons people run

:19:50. > :19:54.the London Marathon. A moving day today for jez and Johnny. Jez's

:19:54. > :20:00.brother was killed last year. They were at his funeral a year ago

:20:00. > :20:05.today. Je skrbgs, you were with him. What happened? Gareth and I had

:20:05. > :20:11.devised a challenge where we would run and cycle from Belfast to

:20:11. > :20:17.London. Do four marathons and cycle 400 miles in eight days for our

:20:17. > :20:21.friend John Irwin who died in 2010. On the stpourt day in North Wales

:20:21. > :20:26.Gareth was killed as we were cycling along the roads. He was

:20:26. > :20:30.buried ayear ago on this day. The idea was to raise as much money for

:20:30. > :20:35.a wonderful cause. It was just tragic it ended in that way. Today

:20:35. > :20:43.is about trying to complete it. Johnny, you did run the marathon

:20:43. > :20:48.course the day before the marathon? Jez ran it last year. This year, we

:20:48. > :20:53.decided to finish the challenge. The four-day challenge started in

:20:53. > :21:00.Wales. Cycled 125 miles on Thursday. Ran a marathon in Bristol on Friday.

:21:00. > :21:04.My first ever marathon. Cycled 125 miles from Bristol to London

:21:04. > :21:09.yesterday. Haven't had much sleep. All the best for today. Our

:21:09. > :21:19.thoughts and all the viewers watching are are with you. Thank

:21:19. > :21:23.you very much. Our just giving page is just giving.com any support

:21:23. > :21:28.would appreciated by us and our charity as well. Thank you, guys.

:21:28. > :21:32.I'm sure they'll get tremendous support. We wish them well. For the

:21:32. > :21:37.first six miles they are in Greenwich. Heading towards

:21:37. > :21:42.Greenwich Park, the oldest of the Royal Parks dating back to 1433. It

:21:42. > :21:48.will be a major part of the Olympic Games featuring all the eeqes Iain

:21:48. > :21:54.eevpbts and the modern pentathlon. It will be a very exciting summer

:21:54. > :22:01.of sport. -- equestrian. An exciting day for these two. Sophie

:22:01. > :22:05.Raworth and Eddie Nesteer. You finished last year, Sophie. You

:22:05. > :22:12.have some unfinished business. What happened at 24hiels? Last year, I

:22:12. > :22:19.was -- 24 miles. I wasn't feeling great. It was very hot. I thought

:22:19. > :22:25.my heart was going extremely fast then woke up with a temperatures of

:22:25. > :22:28.106 on oxygen, stuffing my clothes with ice packs. I had a collapse.

:22:28. > :22:33.St John Ambulance looked after me for two-and-a-half hours. Got me

:22:33. > :22:40.back on my feet. Were going to put me on a bus. I said no, I ran to

:22:40. > :22:45.the end and finished in six hours, 22 minutes. If I don't shave a bit

:22:45. > :22:52.off that today, I'm giving up! Eddie, you were training for this

:22:52. > :23:00.marathon in 2007 and found a lump? Found a lump at the top of my right

:23:00. > :23:05.thigh. Found out it was Hodge kipbs lymphoma. Unfinished business. Five

:23:05. > :23:11.years on, in remission. What better way to celebrate in an Olympic year

:23:11. > :23:14.than to finish it. Five years is a significant time. Anyone who's had

:23:14. > :23:20.cancer knows five years is significant. You are at risk of

:23:20. > :23:26.developing it again and then it goes back to normal. I've ignored

:23:26. > :23:31.the ping beard. But I can't. You've been running weekly chal epbs s?

:23:31. > :23:36.I'm on BBC London. Listeners have helped and encourage me to raise

:23:36. > :23:43.money. I was offered money if I had an Arsenal skafrpb but I couldn't

:23:44. > :23:51.find one! -- an Arsenal scarf. Sophie, what time are you doing it

:23:51. > :23:54.in? My mother's watching. She's appalled you're running. We

:23:55. > :24:02.certainly wish Sophie and Eddie well. We'll speak to them at the

:24:02. > :24:07.end. The first of the elite races gets underway at 9.00. Phil Jones

:24:07. > :24:13.can take us through the main contenders.

:24:13. > :24:23.Leading Kenya's formidable challenge is Katya Virshilas who

:24:23. > :24:23.

:24:23. > :24:28.Mary Keitany who saw her smash the world best for the half Mara thon.

:24:28. > :24:32.Florence Kiplagat became the 11th woman in history to break the

:24:32. > :24:38.magical two hours 20 mark beating Paula Radcliffe into the bargain.

:24:38. > :24:46.Already a cross-country and world marathon runner London glory

:24:46. > :24:53.beckons. Edna Kiplagat is world marathon champion, she was third in

:24:53. > :24:57.London last year. Kabir Hussain has emerged as a strong contender after

:24:57. > :25:06.joining the sub two hours 20 club in January when she was edged into

:25:06. > :25:12.second place by Ethiopia's Medessa. The European challenge is led today

:25:12. > :25:17.by Irina Mikitenko. Twice London Marathon winner in 2008 and 2000.

:25:17. > :25:22.She was second last year behind Kiplagat but ahead of Paula

:25:22. > :25:27.Radcliffe. There's always something special about your first London

:25:27. > :25:31.Marathon. What is it like? atmosphere is fantastic. Very happy

:25:31. > :25:37.to be part of it. I hope I can complete the 26 miles. You're

:25:37. > :25:40.running with a purpose? I am. I'm a book publisher as well as an

:25:40. > :25:45.amateur runner. Tomorrow is world book night. I'm running the

:25:45. > :25:51.marathon for world book night and the book trade charity. Tomorrow,

:25:51. > :25:54.hundreds of thousands of books will be begin out all over the UK by

:25:54. > :25:59.20,000 passionate readers who have the same passion as the people

:25:59. > :26:07.running today. You're giving out books on the way? I'll give out the

:26:07. > :26:14.25 books we're difficult ing away tomorrow. I'm ending with Things

:26:14. > :26:18.Fall Apart for the last mile! seen a few people fall apart in the

:26:19. > :26:27.last mile. Good luck. Hope you enjoy it. I'm giving you the first

:26:27. > :26:32.of the novels to be give en away. Cormac McConnell's On The Road.

:26:32. > :26:39.Thank you, enjoy. We're ready for our first race. It is the women's

:26:39. > :26:45.race. Off at 9.00. We can hand over to our commentaters. Brendan Foster

:26:45. > :26:49.is joined by Paul Dickenson, Steve Cram and Tanni Grey-Thompson.

:26:49. > :26:53.Good morning. What a great day in prospect. The women just about

:26:53. > :27:03.prospect. The women just about ready to start. We've seen Mary

:27:03. > :27:06.

:27:06. > :27:10.The Kenyans trying to cement their chances of being in the Olympics

:27:10. > :27:15.later in the year. That's something which the British athletes are also

:27:15. > :27:21.looking to do. The main contenders for the British spot, Claire

:27:21. > :27:27.Hallissey, Freya Murray. All the big names, a fantastic line-up for

:27:27. > :27:32.this year's events. Let's introduce you to a few of the main contenders.

:27:32. > :27:33.Jessica Augusto from Portugal. Already selected for their team.

:27:33. > :27:42.Former European cross-country Former European cross-country

:27:42. > :27:51.champion. Snl. She's 42 years of age. Constantina Dita needs to run

:27:51. > :27:58.32. 7 today to be able to be back here in August to defend that title.

:27:58. > :28:02.Great North Run winner and sub 2.20 in January, that might not yet be

:28:02. > :28:06.good enough to make the Kenyan team. She's back here in London to try to

:28:06. > :28:16.give herself the best chance possible for Olympic selection.

:28:16. > :28:17.

:28:17. > :28:24.Next to her, her team-mate, the world champion sorry Berlin

:28:24. > :28:31.marathon champion, Florence Kiplagat. She beat Irina Mikitenko

:28:31. > :28:37.and Paula Radcliffe. Ejegayehu Dibaba, 1 last year in Chicago.

:28:37. > :28:44.We'll see shortly about her fitness. Former two-time winner of the

:28:44. > :28:52.London marathon, Irina Mikitenko. Wasn't able to run in Beijing.

:28:52. > :29:02.Hopes to be in the Olympics this time round. Edna Kiplagat. Won the

:29:02. > :29:02.

:29:02. > :29:12.world title in Degu. Tsegaye Kebede, the Ethopians here in force as well.

:29:12. > :29:14.

:29:14. > :29:20.Former Berlin winner, Priscah Jeptoo. Silver Medalist in Degu.

:29:20. > :29:30.Pre-race favourite. World record holder of the half marathon record,

:29:30. > :29:31.

:29:31. > :29:39.Mary Keitany. The elite women, the first, as ever, to set us on our

:29:39. > :29:46.way, 45-minutes ahead of the main race. The road clear ahead of them.

:29:46. > :29:54.The chance to win here in London. But, for many, the chance to

:29:54. > :30:03.hopefully gain Olympic selection as well. Wonderful weather conditions.

:30:03. > :30:13.The sun's shining. It's chilly. It is about to get a little warmer.

:30:13. > :30:13.

:30:13. > :30:19.SIREN B LARES London Marathon underway. The challenge never

:30:20. > :30:23.changes. The world's best gathered once more. Perhaps one of the

:30:23. > :30:28.greatest fields in terms of the women's race any of us have ever

:30:28. > :30:32.seen. That's testimony to this event and to the rewards that lie

:30:32. > :30:38.ahead. It is not just about today but about the Olympics as well. For

:30:38. > :30:41.many, they will be wanting to really feel their way through these

:30:41. > :30:46.first couple of miles. It is only when you start running, when all

:30:46. > :30:51.the nerves start to disappear and you start to settle in and begin to

:30:51. > :31:01.get an inkling of what might lie ahead for you in terms of your

:31:01. > :31:13.

:31:13. > :31:18.performance today. Exciting race in see where it has come from, 1981.

:31:18. > :31:27.And at that time only dozens of British woman had ever run in a

:31:27. > :31:33.marathon. Since then, hundreds of thousands, about 300,000 British

:31:33. > :31:38.women have run a marathon. I think how far it has come in those years

:31:38. > :31:41.and how this event is a spectacular event. The weather this morning is

:31:41. > :31:46.absolutely glorious. It is beautiful weather for distance

:31:46. > :31:50.running and I am sure we are going to see a fantastic race today.

:31:50. > :31:55.Already Liz Yelling of Great Britain is amongst the leaders in a

:31:55. > :32:00.position to attack from. They are probably going fairly slowly

:32:00. > :32:06.because that group is bunched together. Liz Yelling, like a lot

:32:06. > :32:10.of others in this group today, have got London 2012 in mind. It will be

:32:10. > :32:20.fascinating to see how the selection evolves over the next

:32:20. > :32:22.

:32:22. > :32:28.couple of hours. The race director Dave Bedford has been talking about

:32:28. > :32:32.possible world records. I still think Paula Radcliffe's record is

:32:32. > :32:38.for another day because that Olympic selection is at the

:32:38. > :32:42.forefront of most of these athletes' minds. I do not think you

:32:42. > :32:47.are going to see anyone really pushing themselves too hard in the

:32:47. > :32:54.early stages. They have asked for a good pace. There are different pace

:32:54. > :33:00.groups. There are two pacemakers for the front of the race and there

:33:00. > :33:10.is a pacemaker for the lead British athletes who are attempting to run

:33:10. > :33:12.

:33:12. > :33:22.just inside 2.28. Jo Pavey ran 2.2 8.24 and that is their target. They

:33:22. > :33:25.

:33:25. > :33:30.are hoping the main protagonists will go with the pacemakers. Claire

:33:30. > :33:40.Hallissey is just alongside Liz Yelling. I can see Louise Damen in

:33:40. > :33:46.that group as well. Just watch Ding Constantina Dita just at the back.

:33:46. > :33:50.I do not think I have seen her wearing another strip a sense that

:33:50. > :33:57.win in Beijing. There is Claire Hallissey, who has been training in

:33:57. > :34:05.America at altitude. She is somebody who, over the last 12

:34:05. > :34:10.months, has pushed herself. I suspect Liz is not writing her

:34:10. > :34:18.chances quite as highly. She said she had a horrible experience and

:34:18. > :34:28.she fell at Beijing. She is hoping to have another chance, but it is

:34:28. > :34:33.

:34:33. > :34:37.going to be tough for her today. For the moment Paula Radcliffe is

:34:37. > :34:41.sitting watching this event and looking to see who is going to be

:34:41. > :34:48.the British athlete who joins her and Mara Yamauchi, who have already

:34:48. > :34:53.been selected. Jo Pavey is watching this as well. Unless somebody runs

:34:53. > :34:59.faster than she did, this time in London or in New York, then Jo

:34:59. > :35:03.Pavey will be in the Olympic team. The selectors will meet tomorrow.

:35:03. > :35:06.Today's race is crucial for that selection. The pacemakers look as

:35:06. > :35:11.if they have got it a little confused because the British crew

:35:11. > :35:15.are on the left-hand side of the picture. On the right can cite the

:35:15. > :35:19.leading athletes are altogether. That two pacemakers are running

:35:20. > :35:27.together, but they are supposed to be going at a different pace.

:35:27. > :35:34.are right, they are going to be approaching the one mile mark and

:35:34. > :35:39.they are slower than that. You saw Liz Yelling already having a look

:35:39. > :35:45.at her watch. It is important to get its first few miles right, it

:35:45. > :35:50.sets the tone for you. Especially the British women who are aiming

:35:50. > :36:00.for an absolute time. The others are very much racing today. That is

:36:00. > :36:04.

:36:04. > :36:08.spot on for the British women, 5.37. As we will be back with the women's

:36:08. > :36:18.race on BBC One a little bit later. If you want to follow the races,

:36:18. > :36:19.

:36:19. > :36:23.there is an option on the red I am joined by three super-fit

:36:23. > :36:27.athletes, who have been very successful and they are all running

:36:28. > :36:32.today and they are all smiling, which is great. James Cracknell,

:36:32. > :36:38.you have run many marathons, but this year you are running for the

:36:38. > :36:43.Children's Trust. They support people who have had a brain injury,

:36:43. > :36:50.whether it is genetic or traumatic, and it affects everyone, including

:36:50. > :36:55.the families. What they are going through is nothing, sorry what I am

:36:55. > :37:02.going through is nothing compared to what they go through on a daily

:37:02. > :37:07.basis. People are saying, are you running today questing Mike a

:37:08. > :37:14.quizzical look. That is not a good confidence booster. Leon Taylor,

:37:14. > :37:23.you are running for Sports Aid. I know that is close to your heart as

:37:23. > :37:27.well. I ran for this the first and only time in 2009 and they support

:37:27. > :37:35.the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. I am going to

:37:35. > :37:41.do it for them dressed like this. Danny, you were going to run last

:37:41. > :37:45.year and you had an injury, but you aback. I am back and it is my first

:37:45. > :37:53.London Marathon. I and another team captain like Leon, and as an

:37:53. > :37:58.athlete I cannot get beaten by somebody like this. James, I have

:37:58. > :38:02.got to ask you about Greg Searle who has turned 40 and he is going

:38:02. > :38:08.to row at the Olympics. You know the training involved, it is a

:38:08. > :38:16.tough call. It is a tough call and we rode together at the under 18

:38:16. > :38:21.world championships, so I can feel his pain at being 40. It is a big

:38:21. > :38:25.call for him to come back, but that is what having the Olympics in this

:38:25. > :38:29.country means to athletes and it will mean to everybody in the

:38:29. > :38:35.country when the Olympics come. There is no real way of explaining

:38:35. > :38:38.what it does to a host city when the Games come to town. In

:38:38. > :38:44.Australia they were thinking it would be a disaster and they loved

:38:45. > :38:49.it as a country and it changed the global perception of Australia.

:38:49. > :38:54.is going to be a very exciting summer and I hope it is a very

:38:54. > :38:59.exciting few hours for the three of you. I will see you at the finish.

:38:59. > :39:04.For some people running 26 miles is not enough, they have to gild the

:39:04. > :39:09.lily. You are going to be Morris dancing, why have you decided to do

:39:09. > :39:13.that? It is something I am very passionate about. I have been doing

:39:13. > :39:18.it since I was about 10 and it has got a bad impression in this

:39:18. > :39:24.country and I want to show people it is not all old men with beer

:39:24. > :39:30.bellies and it can be for a good cause and do good things.

:39:30. > :39:34.flatmate refused to train with year. I attract order looks when I am out

:39:34. > :39:40.on the streets dancing, so he wanted to avoid that kind of

:39:40. > :39:50.attention. Show me what you are going to be doing for 26 miles and

:39:50. > :39:51.

:39:51. > :39:59.I world join in. Very good. Have I got a future as a Morris dancer?

:39:59. > :40:04.Yes. And a big finale? Yes. Good luck, you are very brave. No, you

:40:04. > :40:09.do not have a future as a Morris dancer. We all remember Jane

:40:09. > :40:14.Tomlinson, the cancer sufferer, who was an incredible fund raiser. Her

:40:14. > :40:20.daughter and her husband's a running and it is 10 years on since

:40:20. > :40:26.her first London Marathon. She came here hoping to raise �5,000 and you

:40:26. > :40:31.are now at over 4 million. This day 10 years ago changed her life and

:40:32. > :40:38.changed our lives as well. We would not be here today if it was not for

:40:38. > :40:44.Jane. We wanted to celebrate today by doing a bit of a challenge

:40:44. > :40:49.ourselves. You see your mother there and you were very young when

:40:49. > :40:57.she was diagnosed. Yes, I was really young when she was first

:40:57. > :41:02.diagnosed, but with her second diagnosis I was starting secondary

:41:02. > :41:06.school and I remember training with her and the memories of the London

:41:06. > :41:11.Marathon for the first year stuck with me and this is a great way to

:41:11. > :41:15.remember her by. You have done this incredible eight State challenge,

:41:15. > :41:20.you did the Paris Marathon and then you cycled back to London. How are

:41:20. > :41:26.you feeling? I know you had a bit of an injury in Paris, but giving

:41:26. > :41:33.up is not an option. We have all come down with flu-like symptoms

:41:33. > :41:40.since Wednesday. We have all struggled. We should not be running

:41:40. > :41:46.today, but there is no way we cannot, not without Jane's memory.

:41:46. > :41:56.We wish you well and I know 5 million is the target. Good luck.

:41:56. > :42:10.

:42:10. > :42:17.Back we go to find out what is will be used a late it -- later in

:42:17. > :42:20.the year. They have been speeding up a little bit in the second mile.

:42:20. > :42:26.The British women are in the second group. The leaders have started to

:42:26. > :42:30.move away a little bit as would have been expected. It is important

:42:30. > :42:36.the British women stick to their pace. There is Liz Yelling who I

:42:36. > :42:41.thought would not do so well today, but the others are looking OK.

:42:41. > :42:46.Louise Damen and Claire Hallissey, just at the back of the group. It

:42:46. > :42:53.is important they do not get too carried away, the excitement of the

:42:53. > :42:59.day, all the build-up you have had. They have been asked to run at a

:42:59. > :43:06.pace which will bring them home in around 2.28. But they only have one

:43:06. > :43:10.pacemaker and let's hope she does a good job. At the front of the main

:43:10. > :43:15.race there are two pacemakers and they have been trying to coax the

:43:15. > :43:20.field along. They have been a bit reluctant to get into this race.

:43:20. > :43:25.This is much slower than you would normally expect, for all the

:43:25. > :43:30.reasons you would expect. It is not just about fast Times today, it is

:43:30. > :43:40.about coming back in August. It is about competition, Olympic

:43:40. > :43:50.selection, gaining momentum, confidence for the rest of the year.

:43:50. > :43:50.

:43:50. > :44:00.Dibaba is on the other side. All the world athletes are in there and

:44:00. > :44:03.

:44:03. > :44:07.The wheelchair races start shortly at 9:20am. Last year, David Weir

:44:07. > :44:13.became the first man to win five London Marathon titles. He is back

:44:13. > :44:17.on a course he respects and has another record in his sight. It is

:44:17. > :44:21.the biggest cheer of David Weir's live with the London Paralympics

:44:21. > :44:27.looming large, today he could equal Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of six

:44:27. > :44:33.wins in a race that has always been special for him. From the age of

:44:33. > :44:37.eight I did a winning marathon and one that a few times, I think I

:44:37. > :44:41.want it seven times and I was the first man to win the full marathon

:44:41. > :44:48.and the junior race. It has been part of might live pretty much all

:44:48. > :44:54.my life. The first senior win was a career landmark. 2002, I started

:44:54. > :44:57.training, but I was struggling and I did not have the coach. Then I

:44:57. > :45:01.knew Jenny Archer was coaching a few athletes and I picked up the

:45:01. > :45:08.telephone and I knew her number of the by heart, and she said she

:45:08. > :45:17.would come and help. I joined her in February and I had two months'

:45:17. > :45:22.training, so I knew I had picked People assume I'll turn up and win

:45:22. > :45:27.four gold medals. I know that's not going to happen. I'm just aiming

:45:27. > :45:31.for one Gold Medal. If I get four, three or two, I will be really

:45:31. > :45:37.happy. There's no guarantee of a happy ending today against the best

:45:37. > :45:42.London Marathon team ever assembled. It is the best field I've ever

:45:42. > :45:45.experienced. I knew what field I was coming to. It is Olympic year.

:45:45. > :45:50.Everyone will be on top of their game. Everyone will cover

:45:50. > :45:55.everything in training. I had to do that over the winter so I was in

:45:55. > :46:00.the best shape going into this race. If I win this Sunday, to equal

:46:00. > :46:09.Tanni, her record, will be fantastic for me. But, whatever

:46:09. > :46:15.happens today, Weir's been begin the best, the birth of a son last

:46:15. > :46:20.year. If I've had a bad day at training, I drive home, Maison's so

:46:20. > :46:25.happy to see me. I just don't dwell on things anymore. He's a great

:46:25. > :46:30.addition to my training plan. Another on the way as well. We had

:46:30. > :46:37.our three-month scan yesterday. It is due at the end of the October. A

:46:37. > :46:41.busy man. Another momentous year for you. Thank you.

:46:41. > :46:45.Absolutely perfect conditions for the wheelchair marathon. Here's the

:46:45. > :46:50.list of the main contenders in the list of the main contenders in the

:46:50. > :46:54.men's race. Ernst van Dyk has too said this is

:46:54. > :46:59.the most talented field ever assembled in any wheelchair

:46:59. > :47:05.marathon he's ever ridden in. 39 years old now, the South African.

:47:05. > :47:11.Heinz Frei and Marcel Hug, both from Switzerland will provide stiff

:47:11. > :47:17.op significance. And Shelly Woods, two former champions in that field,

:47:17. > :47:27.including Amanda McGrory, the defending London Marathon champion

:47:27. > :47:31.

:47:31. > :47:33.from last year. Taking part in her first London

:47:33. > :47:40.Marathon, from the United States, Royal Institute for Economic

:47:40. > :47:41.Affairs, who won in Boston -- Shirley Riley. She was selected for

:47:41. > :47:51.Shirley Riley. She was selected for the Paralympics.

:47:51. > :47:54.

:47:54. > :48:00.. Choke Yasuoka, and Amanda McGrory, the defending champion has already

:48:00. > :48:09.won in Paris this year. The first glimpse we've got of Shelly Woods.

:48:09. > :48:14.Paralympic silver and Bronze Medalist. In Beijing. Great rival

:48:14. > :48:21.of Shelley's is Sandra Graf of Switzerland. Another prolific

:48:21. > :48:26.performer. As we move on to the men. The oldest man in the field, 54

:48:26. > :48:32.years old, Heinz Frei of Switzerland. He's won the Berlin

:48:32. > :48:37.marathon 19 times. There's the man I was telling you about before who

:48:37. > :48:47.said in 20 years of racing, he's never seen a field of this quality.

:48:47. > :48:47.

:48:47. > :48:57.Former winner Ernst van Dyk. Josh Cassidy of Canada. He holds the

:48:57. > :49:00.

:49:00. > :49:09.world's best for the marathon. Going for a record sixth win here,

:49:09. > :49:13.double Paralympic champion from Beijing from just down the road

:49:13. > :49:19.David Weir. Coached by Jennie Archer, who has quite a few

:49:19. > :49:24.athletes in this field. Another great rival of Weir's is Marcel Hug.

:49:24. > :49:30.Very good on the track or the road. Tanni, conditions beautiful? The

:49:30. > :49:34.road is dry and very little wind as well, as you can see from the lack

:49:34. > :49:38.of movement of the balloons. We should see pretty fast tiefpls here

:49:38. > :49:43.today? We should see some very quick times. Most of the contenders

:49:43. > :49:47.have come from racing other big city marathons in Boston and Paris.

:49:47. > :49:51.The only two exceptions to that are Dave Weir and Shelly Woods who've

:49:51. > :49:55.come from a three-week training camp in Portugal. So are probably a

:49:55. > :50:05.little fresher than other athletes in the field. David Weir will want

:50:05. > :50:06.

:50:06. > :50:10.to stay in the leading group for as long as possible. A bit of a muted

:50:10. > :50:15.start there for this wheelchair start there for this wheelchair

:50:15. > :50:20.marathon. It really was a fantastic finish.

:50:20. > :50:24.As they moved into The Mall last year. There were about four

:50:24. > :50:27.athletes, I think it was Ernst van Dyk who crashed eventually. It was

:50:27. > :50:36.David Weir who won in a sprint finish.

:50:36. > :50:41.But, I think the worry was, when I spoke to Jennie Archer, last

:50:41. > :50:45.weekend, she said they don't mind wind or cold conditions but rain is

:50:45. > :50:55.something they don't want. They've been blessed with great weather

:50:55. > :50:56.

:50:56. > :51:01.here today. That's Marcel Hug at the front. It will be very

:51:01. > :51:05.interesting to see how much they'll force Dave to make decisions. In

:51:05. > :51:08.Boston last week Josh Cassidy broke the pack up very early and put

:51:08. > :51:13.three minutes on the rest of the field. It is really Dave's race to

:51:13. > :51:23.win or lose. He needs to make tough decisions in the early part of the

:51:23. > :51:32.

:51:32. > :51:37.is already starting to break up a little bit. Particularly for the

:51:38. > :51:47.British women. Roundabout three- and-a-half miles at this point.

:51:48. > :51:51.

:51:51. > :51:56.That's Liz Yelling, Liz Yelling we were not expecting to go quite so

:51:56. > :51:59.well. There's a gap. This is where it will get interesting. There was

:51:59. > :52:04.a pacemaker whose job it was, there you can see, pace four, she's

:52:04. > :52:08.running with Claire Hallissey. She was a little further up. I'm not

:52:08. > :52:13.sure the pacemaker's doing a good job here. Claire Hallissey would

:52:13. > :52:19.prefer to be with Louise Damen and Murray, who are ahead of her now.

:52:19. > :52:25.It was Louise Damen who thought the pacemaker was not doing a good job.

:52:25. > :52:33.There shis. Louise has gone off a little quick in a couple of her

:52:33. > :52:41.races and in Yokahama she didn't finish because it was very hot. You

:52:41. > :52:46.get these first few miles out of the way behind the pacemaker.

:52:46. > :52:51.Murray, this is her first marathon. You can bet Freya Murray would be

:52:51. > :52:55.the first of the British athletes but it is unknown territory for her.

:52:55. > :52:59.There's the lead group. In the lead group we've athletes being talked

:52:59. > :53:03.about all round the world, how well they are running, how well they are

:53:03. > :53:09.preparing. They are a little off the pace. Not sure they are too

:53:09. > :53:14.worried. The Kenyan athletes, including last year's winner, Mary

:53:14. > :53:23.Keitany, want to win and be selected for the Olympic Games. The

:53:23. > :53:26.world champion's in there. Florence Kiplagat's in there. The Degu

:53:26. > :53:31.champion's in there too. You can see they are keeping an eye on one

:53:31. > :53:36.another. There's the leading group. The two Pacemakers are doing a

:53:37. > :53:44.decent job. Ejegayehu Dibaba, Olympic Silver

:53:44. > :53:53.Medalist. The sister of the great doupbl Olympic champion. -- double

:53:53. > :53:58.Olympic champion. Priscah Jeptoo is in there too. All the athletes

:53:59. > :54:02.featured before the race. This is an outstanding women's race.

:54:02. > :54:06.There's Charlton Athletic football club. Doing pretty well recently.

:54:06. > :54:16.Is that you leading into a bit of football at this early stage? You

:54:16. > :54:16.

:54:16. > :54:23.know I'm not biting. You raiseded subject, I think it was you who

:54:23. > :54:27.raiseded subject. Well done to Charlton, a great season for them.

:54:27. > :54:34.As Brendan said, that group really has all the main people in. All the

:54:34. > :54:39.big names you'd expect are in that group now. That third mile was 5:08.

:54:39. > :54:44.It really takes three or four miles for the average times to settle

:54:44. > :54:51.down. It is this fourth mile where I think they'll be for the rest of

:54:51. > :54:55.the race. They've run a 5:18. That's the sort of pace, 2:18 :5

:54:55. > :55:01.about right for this quality of field. Amazing how many women now

:55:01. > :55:06.see that 2:20 mark, some of them have already broken it, others

:55:06. > :55:12.looking to get under 2:20. It is really about racing today. When you

:55:12. > :55:16.get such quality as you have here today, I'm sure it inhibits some of

:55:16. > :55:21.these athletes. When leading a group like this you don't want to

:55:21. > :55:27.run hard. There are so many athletes. Sometimes there is

:55:27. > :55:32.strength in numbers in the group. I remember Mary Keitany, we saw her

:55:32. > :55:35.last time, she won her last year. We won in New York. She set up a

:55:35. > :55:40.world record pace. The second half of the New York marathon, she

:55:40. > :55:44.really fell apart. Did really well to stay in third place in that,

:55:44. > :55:49.Mary Keitany. Interestingly, she settled down today much more

:55:50. > :55:56.conservatively. No more records for these athletes today but that

:55:56. > :56:01.Olympic selection looms. This course in London, we're in The Mall

:56:01. > :56:11.here, the start and finish of the Olympic Games marathon, Mary

:56:11. > :56:14.

:56:14. > :56:21.A few last-minute preparations going on before the start. The men

:56:21. > :56:25.and the masses, they get underway at 9 9.45. A few last minute

:56:25. > :56:31.preparations. Those are the queues for the loos! Of course, the

:56:32. > :56:39.official charity this year is the PB Team. Fitting on the Olympic

:56:39. > :56:48.year because we're looking for to a GB Team this summer. It is a joint

:56:48. > :56:53.campaign to raise money for breast and prostate cancer. Joining me

:56:54. > :56:58.from is Amanda. You said once you don't even run for a bus and here

:56:58. > :57:02.you are, running in a marathon? I've never run before in my life.

:57:02. > :57:06.Most of my friends and family laugh when I said I was going to do this.

:57:06. > :57:10.But I've caught the bug. I love it. I'm terrified of what's about to

:57:10. > :57:16.happen but, yes, I've never run before in my life. I thought I had.

:57:16. > :57:21.I thought I'd done a cross-country and it was a scene in Grange Hill I

:57:21. > :57:27.shot when I was 13! That's how bad it is. Breast cancer is close to

:57:27. > :57:32.your heart? I had breast cancer myself. About ten years ago, I was

:57:32. > :57:36.told the prospects were not good for me. I'm lucky to be here. I

:57:36. > :57:40.just am here because the service and care and support I got from

:57:40. > :57:45.Breast Cancer Care, I want to be there for everyone else as well.

:57:45. > :57:51.Hope you raise lots of money. Mark, prostate cancer is close to your

:57:51. > :57:54.heart. Your father-in-law, bill, sadly lost his fight? Yes. I

:57:54. > :57:58.support this challenge whenever I can. Cycling or running. I like

:57:58. > :58:03.running so not much of an imposition. This is about the

:58:03. > :58:08.maximum distance I really want to try. A wonderful day to it. If we

:58:08. > :58:13.can draw attention to prostate cancer being treated early it will

:58:13. > :58:18.make a huge difference for patients and families. You certainly draw

:58:18. > :58:25.attention to yourselves. There are about 600 in your team. PB,

:58:25. > :58:32.prostate and breast cancer is pink and Blue but also pants and bras.

:58:32. > :58:36.That will draw attention? Yes, I draw the line at wearing my under

:58:37. > :58:41.wear. This is tough enough. I will humiliate myself. There are over

:58:41. > :58:46.nearly 800 runners. We have a lot. We were going for the biggest team.

:58:46. > :58:51.There are quite a few. This was them earlier this year going

:58:51. > :58:56.through a little training. It will draw some attention. Without a

:58:56. > :59:00.doubt. I do the line at pants and bras. You have a very fast time,

:59:00. > :59:05.Mark? Last time, taking it easy this year. I was going to put my

:59:05. > :59:11.tag on David Weir's chair but he went without me. So I'll have to

:59:11. > :59:17.run it now! Good luck. Hope you enjoy it and raise lots of money.

:59:17. > :59:22.The lovely Hannah and Amy alongside me. Running for Blesma. What does

:59:22. > :59:26.it stand for? It is the British limbless ex-servicemen's

:59:26. > :59:36.association. You're an unusual member being a woman? I suppose I

:59:36. > :59:37.

:59:37. > :59:42.am in the minority. I lost my leg in Iraq in 2007. Blfplt LESMA have

:59:42. > :59:45.done a lot for me. I've been skiing with them. On all kinds of trips.

:59:45. > :59:49.It is confidence-building and being around people who understand how

:59:49. > :59:53.you feel. That's why I want to give something back and do something tor

:59:53. > :59:57.them. First marathon. How are you feeling? I'm a tad nervous. I've

:59:58. > :00:04.two legs with me. This one and a running blade and also a wheelchair

:00:04. > :00:13.and a really good partner who's doing it with me. I'll get round.

:00:13. > :00:22.Good luck. Amy, your brother Jack's being supported by BLESMA? He lost

:00:22. > :00:25.three limbs in Afghan in 2009. He's been skydiving with BLESMA. They

:00:25. > :00:30.contributed to a trip in South Africa. He hopes to ski with them

:00:30. > :00:33.this year. Really boosts confidence. There's life after amputations. A

:00:33. > :00:40.great charity. How much are you hoping to raise today? Into my

:00:40. > :00:43.target was �5,000. I'm on �5,500. But I still need more money. That's

:00:43. > :00:53.brilliant. Amy, Hannah, have a really good time. Good luck to you

:00:53. > :00:59.

:00:59. > :01:04.both. this is the scene at the front, if

:01:04. > :01:10.you like, of the British battle. It is Louise Damen who is leading

:01:10. > :01:18.Freya Murray. They have just passed the reigning Olympic champion,

:01:18. > :01:22.Constantina Dita. Those are the times of the lead group. They have

:01:22. > :01:31.gone through the first five kilometres in 17.09, which is a tad

:01:31. > :01:34.quicker than they might have wanted to. Louise is certainly running

:01:34. > :01:39.with a lot of intent and the pacemaker who is meant to be

:01:39. > :01:43.leading is a little bit distant from this group at the moment.

:01:44. > :01:50.Louise Damen running her third marathon. She ran last year in

:01:50. > :02:00.London and ran really well in two hours and 30 minutes. Now she is

:02:00. > :02:00.

:02:00. > :02:04.being joined by Jessica Augusta, as familiar figure and Freya Murray.

:02:04. > :02:14.The Olympic champion Constantina Dita, but Freya Murray it running

:02:14. > :02:14.

:02:15. > :02:21.very well. Can they run close to the 2.28 Mike that Jo Pavey is

:02:21. > :02:26.sitting and resting on. She is watching this race back home. There

:02:27. > :02:30.is the danger for the big race. There is all that talent. These

:02:30. > :02:35.athletes running with fantastic support at the sight of the road,

:02:35. > :02:40.which is a wonderful part of the London Marathon, that the people of

:02:40. > :02:47.London turn out and they take it to their hearts and the athletes

:02:47. > :02:53.respond for the crowds. The two pacemakers doing a good start. Mary

:02:53. > :02:57.Keitany itching to get going, a tiny figure. Alongside her Florence

:02:58. > :03:07.Kiplagat who won the Berlin Marathon. We are looking at real

:03:08. > :03:08.

:03:08. > :03:13.running talent. Beautiful pictures and if you are watching on HD you

:03:13. > :03:21.can pick out even more detail. It is a fantastic day again for the

:03:21. > :03:26.London Marathon. Showers forecast later on, but not for the elite

:03:26. > :03:34.athletes. Certainly there were men and probably the front of the men's

:03:34. > :03:39.race will be finished before the sun disappears a little bit. In the

:03:39. > :03:47.Greenwich area this is always aware we get the big crowds. 10

:03:47. > :03:52.kilometres have gone in the race. The first big split for these women.

:03:52. > :03:59.You can see the Times and that is not as quick as many would be

:03:59. > :04:03.predicting. Problems with the water station. This is important and they

:04:03. > :04:08.want to make sure they have got the right drinks on board. They are

:04:08. > :04:12.labelled beforehand and they are sealed and stored and they get

:04:12. > :04:16.placed on relevant tables and they should know exactly where their

:04:16. > :04:23.particular drink is. That is why you will see them go back. They

:04:23. > :04:27.will not just grab any drink. Shaji they will turn and go round one of

:04:27. > :04:35.the iconic sites of the London Marathon. It is great to see the

:04:35. > :04:45.Cutty Sark again. This is where the crowds will gather in the next half

:04:45. > :04:47.

:04:47. > :04:53.hour to see the massed ranks. Edna Kiplagat had a problem finding her

:04:53. > :05:02.a drink. She is at the back of that group. The pace is a bit up and

:05:02. > :05:07.down. We have just had 5.25. They relied on the pacemakers keeping it

:05:08. > :05:16.as steady as possible. These are two very good pacemakers, by the

:05:17. > :05:24.way, in their own right they are very good athletes. There was a bit

:05:24. > :05:34.of confusion. The bicycles are sent off, they do not have to go around

:05:34. > :05:36.

:05:36. > :05:42.this loop. There is the African cross-country champion. She is an

:05:42. > :05:46.outstanding athlete in her own right. She is a pacemaker and I

:05:46. > :05:53.expect in a few years' time we will see her running in the race itself,

:05:53. > :05:58.not just as a pacemaker. The crowds make for such a wonderful

:05:58. > :06:03.atmosphere as they go around the Cutty Sark. They are being wrought

:06:03. > :06:07.on and they will be buoyed by the atmosphere that London is already

:06:07. > :06:12.demonstrating here today. It is a great day for London and the City

:06:12. > :06:17.and it is a great state to show off the City. It looks resplendent in

:06:18. > :06:26.all its glory with the sun shining. We saw a miserable forecast for us

:06:26. > :06:33.last night, but it is not raining yet. Cutty Sark is looking

:06:33. > :06:38.resplendent in the sunshine. Then all the way back across Greenwich

:06:38. > :06:42.Park where people have been gathering pretty much since

:06:43. > :06:50.daylight this morning and the redstart is where they will all set

:06:50. > :06:55.off from in a few minutes. Inside the elite men's tent there are

:06:55. > :07:05.countless numbers of talented athletes who have gone under 2.10.

:07:05. > :07:07.

:07:07. > :07:13.We are going to talk to our British His debut was sensational. His name

:07:13. > :07:17.is Scott Overall and he is here. Please, get up and join me. A you

:07:17. > :07:21.cannot get down there? There was a day I would have joined you, but

:07:21. > :07:27.not any more. You had a fantastic debut and have been selected, how

:07:27. > :07:32.does that feel? It feels great to be selected and I can sit back and

:07:32. > :07:38.relax, obviously keep training, but I do not have to raise another

:07:38. > :07:44.marathon. What were your job be today? Today I'm hoping some of the

:07:44. > :07:50.British guys can qualified in 2.12 and we are going to be helping them

:07:50. > :07:54.to do that. We will set the pace and hopefully we can do a good job

:07:54. > :07:58.and a couple of them it will get the qualifying time. The leaders of

:07:58. > :08:05.the pack other Kenyans, they are here in abundance, what do you

:08:05. > :08:09.think of them? Up front it will be a great race, there may even be a

:08:09. > :08:16.world record, but it is important for me to ignore them and set our

:08:16. > :08:21.own pace. All the best with that. The Kenyans have 150 athletes who

:08:21. > :08:31.have qualified for the marathon itself in the Olympic Games. But

:08:31. > :08:37.which three will make their Olympic team? It has to be one of the

:08:37. > :08:41.toughest Olympic challenges, making Kenya's marathon team. They hint of

:08:41. > :08:47.the enormity? Last year all top 20 sports and the world rankings were

:08:47. > :08:57.held by Kenyans. For many of them it all began here in this billet,

:08:57. > :08:57.

:08:57. > :09:07.8500 ft high. -- this village. is probably the most dramatic venue

:09:07. > :09:17.

:09:17. > :09:23.for a press conference. This year could be the toughest ever. Their

:09:23. > :09:30.success inspires future champions. Theories abound as to why this part

:09:30. > :09:36.of Kenya in particular has produced so many world-class runners. The

:09:36. > :09:46.diet, genetics, they have all been studied, but distance running is

:09:46. > :09:47.

:09:47. > :09:52.Kenya's national sport. Then there is the Kenyan running philosophy

:09:52. > :09:56.based on freedom and running as you feel, which sounds great, but no

:09:56. > :10:01.one should underestimate the dedication and sheer hard work that

:10:01. > :10:11.has contributed to their success. thought you go for a run, you go

:10:11. > :10:17.out with your mates, it is all good, but to see the way they eat, sleep

:10:17. > :10:23.and train, it was a big shock for me. One title always eluded the

:10:23. > :10:33.Kenyans and will four years ago. is a new Olympic record, gold for

:10:33. > :10:33.

:10:33. > :10:38.Kenya. Tragically Sammy died last year. The Olympic marathon has not

:10:38. > :10:43.always been everyone's major target, but this year every Kenyon wants to

:10:43. > :10:48.be in the team. Many have already staked their claim, but to date in

:10:48. > :10:55.London past reputations will count for nothing. At top three finish is

:10:55. > :10:59.the main target to become part of Kenyan folklore.

:10:59. > :11:07.That is just one of the prizes on offer, the chance to represent

:11:07. > :11:11.Kenya in the Olympic Games. For many others the first time

:11:11. > :11:15.challenge of competing this wonderful marathon distance on this

:11:15. > :11:20.particularly wonderful chorus is something they will all be getting

:11:20. > :11:26.a bit nervous about. Now they are running to find their position.

:11:26. > :11:34.There are three different starts. The redstart is where the vast

:11:34. > :11:41.majority of them it will get under way. All of the big names have

:11:41. > :11:51.lined up once again. Perhaps the best and most famous marathon of

:11:51. > :11:51.

:11:51. > :12:01.them all. Patrick Macau is the world record holder. Wilson Kipsang

:12:01. > :12:09.

:12:09. > :12:16.is the second fastest ever. Martin Great names wherever you look on

:12:16. > :12:26.that start list. The British challenge, possibly two spots

:12:26. > :12:35.

:12:35. > :12:40.possible. They will join Scott Vincent Kipruto knows he has to

:12:40. > :12:50.have the race of his life here if he is to make the Kenyan team. It

:12:50. > :12:52.

:12:52. > :12:58.is soaked up. He is hoping for a much better performance. Can Martin

:12:58. > :13:05.Lel showed that he has got what it takes and become the first man to

:13:05. > :13:11.win four London marathons? The two- times world champion, perhaps past

:13:11. > :13:17.his best, 39 years, but already selected for Morocco. Lots of talk

:13:17. > :13:27.about this man. He won his second world title last year, but can he

:13:27. > :13:35.translate that into a fast run in London? The diminutive figure, a

:13:35. > :13:38.brilliant performance in 2010. Just four seconds separated him up from

:13:38. > :13:45.what would have been a brilliant world record in Frankfurt when he

:13:45. > :13:53.won in October. Two Santos has won the New York Marathon on two

:13:53. > :14:03.occasions. He was 4th last year. The man who came in at the front of

:14:03. > :14:05.

:14:05. > :14:09.the field, setting that new course best. Patrick Macau was third in

:14:09. > :14:19.that race, but he went on in September to run that startling

:14:19. > :14:22.

:14:22. > :14:28.world record in Berlin. They will be as nervous as anybody else. They

:14:28. > :14:32.know what lies ahead. More than 37,000 have registered over the

:14:32. > :14:42.last few days to take their opportunity to line up in this

:14:42. > :14:52.year's event. It is not a record number. What a great occasion once

:14:52. > :14:52.

:14:53. > :15:02.more we have in store. The last few seconds are being counted down.

:15:03. > :15:12.

:15:12. > :15:17.anywhere in the world is about to unfold once more. 2012 is here at

:15:17. > :15:27.last and the London Marathon, one of our greatest sporting occasions,

:15:27. > :15:34.

:15:34. > :15:39.is sent on its way. Ambitions, this common goal, to complete the

:15:39. > :15:44.most traditional of athletic events, the marathon distance.

:15:44. > :15:49.What a wonderful shot there as these 37,000 athletes set off.

:15:49. > :15:55.Every one with a story to tell. When I look at it at this point,

:15:56. > :15:59.and I see the Greenwich Park, the crowds gathering all round us, I'm

:15:59. > :16:05.reminded of Patrick Collins's words, this is the best idea British sport

:16:05. > :16:10.has ever had. He's not far wrong with that, is he? Great athletes at

:16:10. > :16:17.the front. Great stories behind. London in all its glory and a queue

:16:17. > :16:22.forming in Greenwich Park. But it is a pleasant queue. The tension in

:16:22. > :16:27.there is unbelievable. Every single person who's running the marathon

:16:27. > :16:32.is full of nervous energy. You could go to the start area and you

:16:32. > :16:37.can feel the nervous tension. Some excited, some is a bit distraught.

:16:37. > :16:45.But it is there and it is a feeling you can feel yourself. There,

:16:45. > :16:50.Dorothy Tyler, who set them on their way, 92 years of age. There's

:16:50. > :16:55.John Disley, one of the founders of the London that are money, he went

:16:55. > :16:58.off to New York to see what the marathon there was like and set

:16:58. > :17:04.upon the idea that London was big and bold enough and had a big

:17:04. > :17:12.enough heart to stage an event like this. They are just relaxing there.

:17:12. > :17:19.The athletes themselves are not relaxing. Three starts that finally

:17:19. > :17:26.all converge together after about three or four miles of the course.

:17:26. > :17:31.Depending on your ability, depending on who you're running for,

:17:31. > :17:36.that's what determines which point you start. That red start is where

:17:36. > :17:41.the vast majority of them begin. They have to be patient, of course,

:17:41. > :17:46.all of them wearing transponders on their shoes which will give them an

:17:46. > :17:52.exact time but it only starts once they cross that red line. They just

:17:52. > :17:58.need to walk and be patient. It will take ten or 15 mins, perhaps,

:17:58. > :18:03.for all of them to finally cross the line. As Brendan and I are

:18:03. > :18:06.always slightly amazed by, there are some late comeers who have to

:18:06. > :18:10.run for about a mile before starting the London Marathon

:18:10. > :18:16.because they've slept in despite all the planning that most have put

:18:16. > :18:22.in to today's performance. computer chip's on that feet will

:18:22. > :18:26.give them an accurate time. When crossing the start line, they were

:18:26. > :18:33.looking at their own running watches. The course is brilliantly

:18:33. > :18:36.marked all the way along. They can see how fast they are going.

:18:36. > :18:40.There's feed stations. There's the opportunity to take your time if

:18:40. > :18:45.you need to. Because the computer chips register their times, the

:18:45. > :18:49.split times, all the way along, you can see the atmosphere at the start

:18:49. > :18:52.isn't too anxious. They know as they shuffle towards the start here

:18:52. > :18:59.in Greenwich Park, eventually they'll get the whole story of

:18:59. > :19:02.their own event, their own race. It is the one you want to be. Straight

:19:02. > :19:08.down there, a sharp left turn and not long after that, you'll be on

:19:08. > :19:18.your way. You marvel at the patience of the British, the queues

:19:18. > :19:23.

:19:23. > :19:29.Marathon. The red start is where the vast majority begin. The blue

:19:29. > :19:33.start for the elite runners. They eventually converge as they head

:19:33. > :19:41.through Woolwich. They turn back up towards the famous Cutty Sark just

:19:41. > :19:46.after the 10 kilometre point. There where so many crowds will gather to

:19:46. > :19:51.watch. Then wind their way along the southern side of the river

:19:51. > :19:58.through Rother height. Now, they get their first glimpse of Tower

:19:58. > :20:03.Bridge. Across there, turn ride. -- turn right. Through the halfway

:20:03. > :20:08.point. They'll come back this way in a few miles time into Canary

:20:08. > :20:12.Wharf. Winding through the new section of the course over the last

:20:12. > :20:21.couple of years which was introduced. Then, they are starting

:20:21. > :20:25.to head for home. Past the tower again. On to the Embankment. They

:20:25. > :20:32.will be able to see Big Ben in the distance as they curve round the

:20:32. > :20:37.river. When they get to Big Ben they take a right turn. Down Bird

:20:37. > :20:47.Cage Walk to Buckingham Palace. The last 385 yards up to the finish

:20:47. > :20:58.

:20:58. > :21:01.mini marathon very much a big part of the day. They start a long the

:21:01. > :21:05.Embankment acouple of miles from the finish line here. Lots of

:21:05. > :21:10.racers have come to take part in these events from all over the

:21:10. > :21:15.country. We'll show you highlights of those later in the programme. A

:21:15. > :21:23.good few stars have raced that in the past who are now hoping for a

:21:24. > :21:27.place in the Olympics later this year. There you can see they are

:21:27. > :21:33.still going through. That's the blue and green start. We can see

:21:33. > :21:40.the red start over on the right- hand side, up in the distance there.

:21:40. > :21:46.All this start paraphernalia will be dismantled. The organisation

:21:46. > :21:50.really is remarkable. Yes, see you at the finish hopefully. Still in

:21:50. > :21:55.the sunshine with a bit of luck. Wonderful conditions for the start

:21:56. > :22:00.of the race. A little chilly early on. But many will have worn clothes

:22:00. > :22:08.or bin liners to keep themselves warm and discarded that at the

:22:08. > :22:12.beginning. Hopefully now, well on their way. Just 26 miles to go.

:22:12. > :22:20.few minutes ago, the elite wheelchair athletes were passing

:22:20. > :22:26.Cutty Sark and the six mile mark, the 10 kilometre point. Certainly a

:22:26. > :22:35.big race going on. Cassidy's been sitting at the front. David Weir,

:22:35. > :22:39.perfect position in third. The guys can push two or three miles per

:22:39. > :22:46.hour quicker sitting behind. It looks like Josh is trying to pick

:22:46. > :22:50.up the pace and drop a few guys off the back. That's a really big pack

:22:50. > :22:56.at the moment, especially when we get to the Twisty parts of the

:22:56. > :23:02.course later. David Weir has been in the right wearing the black in

:23:02. > :23:10.the white hell met. In front from the start. Still in good shape.

:23:10. > :23:18.4 Back at the front of the women's race, that group there just tightly

:23:18. > :23:26.bunched. You can see these mile times. A quick through 7:15. And

:23:26. > :23:31.through eight miles, slow, 5:76. We should mention there's been three

:23:31. > :23:35.or four marathons in the last few weeks, Rotterdam, Paris, Boston and,

:23:35. > :23:40.particularly with the Kenyan team, they had said people have this week

:23:40. > :23:48.to run well and show that they should be picked. They've named six

:23:48. > :23:51.people provings alley. That has to be whittled down to three. Really,

:23:51. > :23:54.all those names in there, they are looking at each other, watching

:23:54. > :23:58.each other and waiting for the point at which they want to try and

:23:58. > :24:02.win this race. They have to come in the top two or three. That's what

:24:02. > :24:11.everybody thinks here. So understandable they are all still

:24:11. > :24:15.reluctant to go with a fast pace. There are the men's wheelchair

:24:15. > :24:23.racers. The elite racers who are already overtaking the women. They

:24:23. > :24:29.will be the next group of athletes to finish in The Mall after the

:24:29. > :24:33.mini marathon runners. The pace has settled down. The Pacemakers have

:24:33. > :24:38.been trying to edge them along. There's been some reluctance to go

:24:38. > :24:42.at a break-neck pace. They are running about 2:22 pace at the

:24:42. > :24:45.moment. I suggest when they get to the halfway pointed and the

:24:45. > :24:50.Pacemakers drop out the speed will accelerate. It will be one of the

:24:50. > :24:56.races where the second half of the race is faster than the first half.

:24:57. > :25:00.Kabir Hussain is moving up there to join Mary Keitany, the great north

:25:00. > :25:04.and London Marathon winner from last year and next to them, the

:25:04. > :25:08.world champion from last year. A talented bunch there. They've had

:25:09. > :25:13.this race in mind but also the Olympic Games in mind.

:25:13. > :25:17.This is interesting, if you've been watching the early stages of the

:25:17. > :25:21.British challenge, Claire Hallissey had set off the pace being set by

:25:21. > :25:25.Louise Damen and Freya Murray and stuck with the pace maker. Those

:25:26. > :25:32.two, the Pacemakers in the black and white, these two have joined

:25:32. > :25:37.now Louise Damen and Freya Murray. Freya's always looked fairly

:25:37. > :25:41.comfortable. She's moved with Damen. At one point, Hallissey was six

:25:41. > :25:46.seconds down. She's rejoined them. All three of these British women

:25:46. > :25:53.running about 2:27 pace. Maybe even a tad inside that. Inside the time

:25:53. > :25:58.required if they are to run faster than Jo Pavey. It is who wins this

:25:58. > :26:03.battle, who comes first out of this group of three. Brendan, you

:26:03. > :26:07.mentioned Freya Murray, and as they approach ten miles now, this is

:26:07. > :26:11.where they'll think about how they are feeling, how is this going,

:26:11. > :26:16.have they got the pace right here. It is good to see the three of them

:26:16. > :26:23.together. Just over 55 minutes for ten miles. Only one of those can

:26:23. > :26:30.make the Olympic team. 2:7 is the pace they are running at. -- 2:27

:26:30. > :26:34.is the time pace they are running at. Claire Hallissey has only run

:26:34. > :26:39.two marathons. This is Freya Murray's first ever marathon. And

:26:39. > :26:43.this is Louise Damen's third marathon. Last year's London is the

:26:43. > :26:47.experience of Louise Damen. She's keen on these three to try and keep

:26:47. > :26:52.going, to try and edge ahead. Freya Murray is much more experienced on

:26:52. > :26:56.the shorter distances. She's really competitive at the shorter

:26:56. > :27:00.distances. If this was a half marathon, I would say Freya Murray

:27:00. > :27:06.would beat these two comfortably at this point. Can she last the

:27:06. > :27:12.distance? That's what we'll find out. Freya Murray is coached by a

:27:12. > :27:17.man who knows what it is like to win London. Steve Jones lives in

:27:17. > :27:21.Colorado now. That's where Freya's been preparing for this race. He

:27:21. > :27:25.said she's been really relaxed. He said sometimes she can get wound up

:27:25. > :27:31.and nervous but she has been incredibly relaxed. She's prepared

:27:31. > :27:35.well. Your first marathon, you never quite know what will happen.

:27:35. > :27:39.A long way to go yet. So far so good for her. Claire Hallissey,

:27:39. > :27:44.just happy to run at the back of that group at the moment. It is

:27:44. > :27:52.good they've settled into this pace. Hopefully, the pacemaker can work

:27:52. > :27:55.with these four, sorry with these three, and keep them on schedule

:27:55. > :28:00.through the halfway point. I'm not sure the pacemaker will go much

:28:00. > :28:07.further than that. It will be up to these three to race it in from

:28:07. > :28:11.there. Back at the start, it will take

:28:11. > :28:15.quite a few minutes for everyone to get across the start line. They've

:28:15. > :28:22.come from all over the UK and all over the world. Well over 2000 have

:28:22. > :28:27.travelled to London to take part in this year's London Marathon. As

:28:28. > :28:33.many in fancy dress. Many trying to break various world records. Clare

:28:33. > :28:38.Philips is running for the Cambridge cancer help centre. She's

:28:38. > :28:48.attempting to run the quickest marathon dressed as a bottle of

:28:48. > :28:55.

:28:55. > :29:00.beer. It is 4:36:19, by the way. Patience required. As well as fancy

:29:00. > :29:03.dress, so many people, London is renowned for the amount of money

:29:03. > :29:07.raised for charity. The vast majority of people, certainly in

:29:07. > :29:10.this section, will be running for some good cause or another. We'll

:29:10. > :29:14.bring you many of those stories through the course of the programme.

:29:14. > :29:21.It is really what the London Marathon's about. It is what sets

:29:21. > :29:31.it apart from many others in the world. London in particular raises

:29:31. > :29:35.

:29:35. > :29:39.so much money. While climbing in chili ie she's

:29:39. > :29:43.taken up another huge challenge. Eight marathons in eight days with

:29:43. > :29:50.the help of her friend Anna. Their journey towards London began in

:29:50. > :29:54.Paris. They aim to raise over �5,000 for Aspire and the Back up

:29:54. > :29:58.Trust. Tony's kids suffered from asthma from an early age. Their

:29:58. > :30:04.conditions has been life- threatening but they maintain a

:30:04. > :30:06.positive outlook on life. Today's Tony wants to dribble a ball while

:30:06. > :30:10.running the marathon in the fastest time.

:30:10. > :30:15.In 2007, Simon Wilson's life was turned upside down after receiving

:30:15. > :30:20.the devastating news his wife Lisa had leukaemia. Despite treatment,

:30:20. > :30:30.Lisa passed away later that year. Winston's wish was to help support

:30:30. > :30:42.

:30:42. > :30:46.Lisa, Simon and their two daughters. and we will be hearing from you

:30:46. > :30:52.selves telling us who you are going to cheer on. It is a great day for

:30:52. > :30:56.spectating as long as you are wrapped up. Many people take on the

:30:56. > :31:05.challenge themselves off trying to see the marathon in as many

:31:05. > :31:15.different places as they can. The toughest is trying to get over the

:31:15. > :31:17.

:31:17. > :31:22.river to Canary Wharf. And what about the weather forecast? It is

:31:22. > :31:27.meant to stay fine, it is getting a bit warmer, it is not bad at all.

:31:27. > :31:33.The elite runners were worried about the breeze. They knew they

:31:33. > :31:38.rain it was going to come, and it may well be into their faces in the

:31:38. > :31:47.last bit of the race, but so far it is not in evidence. In Boston last

:31:48. > :31:54.week they had a heatwave. The elite runners had to go slow. 16 minutes

:31:54. > :31:59.they have been going and still they file through Greenwich Park. The

:31:59. > :32:04.crowds and the atmosphere is still very much controlled and relaxed as

:32:04. > :32:09.the athletes trust the organisation. A brilliant organisation they have

:32:09. > :32:15.said over the years, one of the best organised events of any kind

:32:15. > :32:21.in the world. The race director has really taken this race on a step

:32:21. > :32:26.over the years. There is the lead group, there is Martin Lel in the

:32:26. > :32:35.blue and red dress alongside the pacemakers. He is the most

:32:35. > :32:40.successful ever London Marathon winner. He is back in shape and

:32:40. > :32:44.good form. He will not give up this one without a good fight. There is

:32:44. > :32:49.a race for the London Marathon title and then the toughest race of

:32:49. > :32:54.all, to make the Kenyan team for the Olympic Games. Look how

:32:54. > :32:59.difficult that is going to be, look how good these athletes are.

:32:59. > :33:03.quick mention of the pace, they went through the first three miles

:33:03. > :33:10.in exactly the same time as last year, so well done to the

:33:10. > :33:16.pacemakers. This year it is a very interesting race for the two spots

:33:16. > :33:20.available in the men's team. 20 kilometres gone and they are

:33:20. > :33:28.approaching the halfway stage and David Weir is in the lead false

:33:28. > :33:36.starts that is just ahead of Marcel Hug in the silver helmet behind him.

:33:36. > :33:41.They are putting a little bit of a break here, aren't they? It is

:33:41. > :33:49.interesting seeing David Weir, saying to Marcel Hug, unique to

:33:49. > :33:59.take a bit of a League because we need to start splitting up the pack.

:33:59. > :34:02.

:34:02. > :34:12.News of the women is that Shelly Woods Diane Roy and the Japanese

:34:12. > :34:22.were all together. It is now Marcel Hug, the long-time rival of David

:34:22. > :34:27.

:34:27. > :34:32.Weir and the Briton is now in second place. That gives us a good

:34:32. > :34:36.perspective of where people are on the course. You can see Tower

:34:36. > :34:42.Bridge limit at the top right of the picture. The women's leaders

:34:42. > :34:46.are not too far away from there. This is the battle, and I am going

:34:46. > :34:52.to call it a battle, because I think it will end up as a real

:34:52. > :34:56.scrap, and it is great to see Britain's runners tried to get that

:34:56. > :35:06.spot. They have gone through quicker than we were expecting them

:35:06. > :35:08.

:35:08. > :35:13.to. They are running just inside 2.27 and looking strong. Louise

:35:13. > :35:19.Damen is the one who wants to push on. She said the one thing she has

:35:19. > :35:24.to learn his pacing. She got it wrong perhaps the last year. She

:35:24. > :35:33.said she had to learn to hold herself back. She said she respects

:35:33. > :35:38.the event a little bit more now and she respects the pace. She is self

:35:38. > :35:42.coached as well, and maybe she does not have people around to help her

:35:43. > :35:48.and talked to work. At one point she looked as if she was a little

:35:48. > :35:52.bit keen to push on, but now she has got the others for companies.

:35:52. > :36:00.She has got an ungainly style, Louise Damen, but it is very

:36:00. > :36:05.effective. There is Freya Murray. A little bit more compact. You do not

:36:05. > :36:10.need to leave gaps open, you should let them know you are there. They

:36:10. > :36:16.are running well with the pacemaker at the moment. Let's see how they

:36:16. > :36:22.get to the halfway point. You can see in the background One of the

:36:22. > :36:27.new sites on the London skyline, the Shard. If you have not been to

:36:27. > :36:31.London in recent times, it is a spectacular building. Renzo Piano

:36:31. > :36:37.is the man who designed this. When it is finished it will be the

:36:37. > :36:46.tallest building in Western Europe and will stand just over 1000 ft

:36:46. > :36:52.high. I do not know what they put on the top, a little sparkly thing

:36:52. > :36:56.or a fairy or something? Probably the Olympic rings. It is a

:36:56. > :37:03.spectacular building and dominates this part of London. The athletes

:37:04. > :37:11.are approaching Tower Bridge now. That leading group is watching each

:37:11. > :37:16.other and keeping close. They are approaching 12 miles. It is just

:37:16. > :37:24.lifting a little here now. They are running around two hours and 21

:37:24. > :37:32.pace. I would not be surprised if they start to think about picking

:37:32. > :37:40.up the pace in the second half. Edna Kiplagat, the world champion.

:37:40. > :37:50.Florence Kiplagat ran brilliantly to win the Berlin Marathon. Lucy

:37:50. > :37:51.

:37:51. > :37:59.Karbuu is in that group. She might not be on the official selectors'

:37:59. > :38:04.list at the moment, but if she wins this list -- race today, I would be

:38:04. > :38:10.very surprised if they turned her down. They have got so much talent,

:38:10. > :38:15.it is amazing how they changed the world of marathon running.

:38:15. > :38:18.Ethiopians tend to go, who are the three Busters? But with each

:38:18. > :38:25.marathon but conditions are so different and you have to take a

:38:25. > :38:29.little bit of experience it you can. The Kenyans tried to select the six

:38:29. > :38:35.preferred, but they have left the way open for somebody like Lucy

:38:35. > :38:39.Karbuu to do a big performance on a day like today. Someone like her is

:38:39. > :38:46.going to have to be up there with the others and really showed she is

:38:46. > :38:49.worthy of the players. Most people around London Marathon headquarters

:38:49. > :38:59.have been saying the top three Kenyans in the men and the women

:38:59. > :38:59.

:38:59. > :39:05.are the ones who will go. Tower Bridge looming for the British

:39:05. > :39:11.fight for that Olympic place that is available. Louise Damen is on

:39:11. > :39:15.the right on the far side. Freya Murray is in the red. Claire

:39:15. > :39:22.Hallissey and they are all with the pacemaker and they have been locked

:39:22. > :39:27.together for the last few miles. These three are together and not

:39:27. > :39:32.far away from the halfway point. They are going at a quicker pace

:39:32. > :39:37.than they might have asked for, but it is a good pace and it is the

:39:37. > :39:46.pace poll one of them, whoever is successful in that group, to give

:39:46. > :39:51.them a chance of being inside 2.28. Tower Bridge and a fascinating race

:39:51. > :39:56.for an extra place in the Olympic team. Claire Hallissey, Louise

:39:56. > :40:06.Damen and Freya Murray with the pacemakers. You see the crowds on

:40:06. > :40:06.

:40:06. > :40:11.the side of Tower Bridge giving them a bit raw. There are the three

:40:11. > :40:15.Britons getting a really good cheer and really good support. We are

:40:15. > :40:22.looking at a race that will be really interesting. Can they run

:40:22. > :40:26.faster than 2.28? Which one of these three will come out on top?

:40:26. > :40:32.Joe Perry is sitting at home watching this race and I would

:40:32. > :40:42.think she will be a little bit nervous. Those times have been

:40:42. > :40:43.

:40:43. > :40:49.pretty consistent for this group. They have been running around 2.27.

:40:49. > :40:53.20 kilometres was spot on. The pacemaker is looking at her watch,

:40:53. > :40:59.because she is realising her job should be done. She was asked to

:40:59. > :41:05.get them to halfway and if she can keep ongoing, she will. But I

:41:05. > :41:15.suspect these three are running strongly now, so she will feel she

:41:15. > :41:41.

:41:42. > :41:47.moving through the gates. Someone is on his own. Just arriving.

:41:47. > :41:52.Efficient organisation and they are still streaming through. That is

:41:52. > :42:02.the red start. The watchers are clipped, the computer is

:42:02. > :42:05.

:42:05. > :42:12.synchronised, and the Adventures unfold Fulstow. The lead

:42:12. > :42:18.wheelchairs are into Canary Wharf now. David Weir is back in third

:42:18. > :42:22.place at the moment, I think. Marcel Hug is at the front. In fact,

:42:22. > :42:32.David Weir is at the front followed by Marcel Hug. It is still those

:42:32. > :42:39.

:42:39. > :42:44.two. The lead men and Patrick Makau the first of the big names to push

:42:44. > :42:49.alongside the pacemaker because he might think, this is not as fast as

:42:49. > :42:53.I would like. We talked about tactics and some of them will want

:42:53. > :43:03.to get rid of some of the other athletes. Patrick Makau is

:43:03. > :43:15.

:43:15. > :43:19.reputedly in good shape. Everyone is saying, you have to pick the

:43:19. > :43:26.world champion, but everyone is saying, you have to pick the quiz

:43:26. > :43:30.that time. It is an intriguing race in prospect for this Kenyan

:43:30. > :43:34.contingent. They know each other very well and know what each

:43:34. > :43:41.other's strengths and weaknesses are, but it is about who has got it

:43:41. > :43:48.on the day. They are approaching six miles. All that talent we have

:43:49. > :43:51.talked about, just following the pacemakers. They are running quite

:43:52. > :43:59.aggressively here today and the pacemakers are doing a very good

:43:59. > :44:04.job. There are other British contenders. Ben Whitby is in that

:44:04. > :44:14.group, Andy Jones is in that group, I can say it will stop this is the

:44:14. > :44:16.

:44:17. > :44:21.second group. Lee Merrien is wearing No. 22. Others have quietly

:44:21. > :44:31.prepared as well and they will be hoping this could be their day.

:44:31. > :44:36.2.12 is the target for the British men. David Webb ran inside the top

:44:36. > :44:41.20 in the world championships last year. The criteria is 2.12 or you

:44:41. > :44:46.came in the top 20 if you want to get selected. Scott Overall has met

:44:46. > :44:52.that criteria and David Webb has met that criteria. But David Webb

:44:52. > :45:02.is not running. Lee Merrien and Ben Whitby have the chance to push

:45:02. > :45:20.

:45:20. > :45:27.and-down. That pace is pretty quick and it is solid enough. If you

:45:27. > :45:36.think about last year when Emmanuel Mutai ran quicker in the second

:45:36. > :45:40.half of the race, then I think this is a good, solid place, certainly

:45:40. > :45:45.in the 2.25 region. There is every prospect they could speed up in the

:45:45. > :45:50.second half. The pacemakers keep looking at their watches. They all

:45:50. > :45:56.look at each other and they say, are you going to go with them? No,

:45:56. > :46:06.I do not fancy it, it is too early, and then they spread out in a line.

:46:06. > :46:12.

:46:12. > :46:14.A lot of cat and mouse in these itself and that race for the

:46:15. > :46:19.Olympic position, particularly for the Kenyan team, is most

:46:19. > :46:26.significant of all today. Here they are, coming round Cutty Sark. Once

:46:26. > :46:32.again, the sight of Cutty Sark warms the heart every year we watch

:46:32. > :46:36.the London Marathon. The crowds are phenomenal. The atmosphere is

:46:36. > :46:40.brilliant and the support is remarkable. They come out early.

:46:40. > :46:44.They get a good position. It really is a good position here. From now,

:46:44. > :46:49.there will be a procession. They are still going through the start

:46:49. > :46:54.at Greenwich Park. Here they are six miles up the road. They are

:46:54. > :46:59.already weavinging their way alongside the river until they get

:46:59. > :47:02.to Tower Bridge. Look at that crowd, big as I've ever seen.

:47:03. > :47:07.We keep talking about the Kenyans. They are cat and mouse. The

:47:07. > :47:13.interesting and difficulty is somebody like Tsegaye Kebede who

:47:13. > :47:18.needs to run fast here, he needs to get selected. He has three or four

:47:18. > :47:25.Ethiopians who've run super-fast times, particularly in Dubai this

:47:25. > :47:30.year. Kebede needs to fast time to get selected. He hopes that lead

:47:30. > :47:39.group keeps pushing on. There's Lee Merrien and Benedict Whitby at the

:47:39. > :47:42.front of the group. Lee Merrien running through there. I was

:47:42. > :47:47.looking for Scott Overall who's supposed to be helping the British

:47:47. > :47:52.athletes to qualify for this race. Can't see him in there. Hope he's

:47:52. > :47:56.not down the road with the Kenyans. I saw Scott yesterday. He's

:47:56. > :48:01.obviously got his thoughts on running in the Olympic Games. He

:48:01. > :48:05.was having a little bit of physio treatment, not a scare or anything.

:48:05. > :48:10.I don't think he would take any risk. I reckon if he got out there

:48:10. > :48:14.and there was any issue... We saw him in a tent. But I'm saying if he

:48:14. > :48:18.got out there running and for any reason he felt as though he had a

:48:18. > :48:22.little twinge, the sensible thing would be not to run. It was great

:48:22. > :48:27.he was volunteering to do a job here. I guess that means they will

:48:27. > :48:34.have to do it themselves. As far as I can see, there isn't another

:48:34. > :48:42.pacemaker in that group for for them. That is a great viewing spot.

:48:42. > :48:47.You wouldn't get me up there! How did they get up there? I'm being

:48:47. > :48:51.told in my ear they might not be real people. That can't be right.

:48:51. > :49:01.Oh, they are! They've picked themselves one of the best spots in

:49:01. > :49:02.

:49:02. > :49:09.town there today, I think. There's Patrick Makau, the word record

:49:09. > :49:17.holder. His team-mate Emmanuel Mutai who ran faster in Boston. But

:49:17. > :49:21.the Boston course is not ratifyable for world records. It is his run in

:49:21. > :49:26.Berlin 2:07:38 which stands as the best in the word. On the left-hand

:49:26. > :49:32.side of that lead group, Wilson Kipsang, the tall figure, who is a

:49:32. > :49:36.bit of a late developer, Kipsang, one of the Kenyans who pushed his

:49:37. > :49:46.name to the form not long after Makau had to world record. Just

:49:47. > :49:50.

:49:50. > :49:56.four seconds off it in Frankfurt. Superb talent in this group here.

:49:56. > :50:01.This is a sad sight, really, to see Liz Yelling struggling across Tower

:50:01. > :50:04.Bridge. Liz had a quick chat with her yesterday, didn't seem

:50:04. > :50:09.particularly confident. I think she knew preparations hadn't gone quite

:50:09. > :50:13.so well. Her husband Martin, who's running in the main race, who

:50:13. > :50:19.coaches her, will be disappointed to know house Liz is progressing.

:50:19. > :50:23.I'm sure she'll try to keep going but her dream of representing Great

:50:23. > :50:28.Britain in the Olympic Games has disappeared here today. She has

:50:28. > :50:33.been one of our great distance runners over the years, Liz. Same

:50:33. > :50:40.club, started pretty much at the Sam time Aspall la Radcliffe.

:50:40. > :50:42.She'll be wishing her compat reotsz all the best here -- Paula

:50:42. > :50:46.Radcliffe. Everyone was talking about Claire Hallissey, Louise

:50:46. > :50:53.Damen and Freya Murray and the three of them locked in battle as

:50:53. > :50:59.they have been for the last few miles. This is great to see, three

:50:59. > :51:05.women really having a go here. Attacking this obviously difficult

:51:05. > :51:08.distance. The inexperience we know that's in this group here. But

:51:08. > :51:12.they've set out here with real intent. They haven't been

:51:12. > :51:18.frightened about the task ahead or Bached about running a particular

:51:18. > :51:22.time. No shying away from it. They've set out at this 2:27 pace.

:51:22. > :51:28.They've been maintaining that. At the moment, the three of them are

:51:28. > :51:31.looking good. This is a great race. Louise Damen want s to egg them on,

:51:31. > :51:35.keep the pace going. Freya Murray looks comfortable in second place.

:51:35. > :51:40.On the other side, Claire Hallissey running strongly. The three of them

:51:40. > :51:50.together, we are seeing a terrific struggle here. The pace is strong.

:51:50. > :51:57.

:51:57. > :52:01.Around about 2 :27, 2:28. There's the lead group, there's Mary

:52:01. > :52:05.Keitany. The last two miles have been really, really quick. The

:52:05. > :52:12.pacemaker still going. One of the Pacemakers is still going.

:52:12. > :52:22.Eventually, Mary Keitany, Edna Kiplagat, Florence Kiplagat in

:52:22. > :52:27.

:52:27. > :52:33.there too, that group's now down to seven athletes. I'm just going to

:52:33. > :52:37.give you an update on what we were talking about. Scott Overall is in

:52:37. > :52:42.that group somewhere. He's certainly disguised. His

:52:42. > :52:47.transponder's in that group if he's not! His time's come up on the

:52:47. > :52:50.computer. The British men and the British women certainly doing their

:52:50. > :52:55.part today. We'll follow that story all the way through. Here at the

:52:55. > :52:59.front of the women, they are all still there, as Brendan said. This

:52:59. > :53:08.will start, somebody will start to want to think about breaking away

:53:08. > :53:13.fairly soon, I'm sure. The men, it's been a better pace

:53:13. > :53:21.being set. Certainly a steadier pace. They haven't been frightened

:53:21. > :53:27.to push the Pacemakers on a little bit. That last mile, 4:59, tends to

:53:27. > :53:31.be a slowish mile through mile eight. Wouldn't have expected them

:53:31. > :53:41.to drop off quite as much as that. If the men drift towards five

:53:41. > :53:42.

:53:42. > :53:49.minutes, that's slow. If they are in the 4:45. 4:50, that's about

:53:49. > :53:53.right. Last year's winner, man who's run faster on this course

:53:53. > :54:00.than anyone else, Emmanuel Mutai, he now decides it is time to go

:54:00. > :54:05.with the Pacemakers. The world champion Abel Kirui just behind him.

:54:05. > :54:09.Now you can sense there's some work being put in. Bit of a gap

:54:09. > :54:13.beginning to open. Pressure beginning to tell in the ninth mile

:54:13. > :54:23.here. Emmanuel Mutai really looks as though he wants to get on terms

:54:23. > :54:29.

:54:29. > :54:38.with them. Abel Kirui just doing enough there, just behind them.

:54:38. > :54:42.There you can see Ben Whitby in the blue. Lee Merrien, a bit of a star

:54:42. > :54:48.in Guernsey, Lee Merrien,. They have their fingers crossed. I was

:54:48. > :54:53.there four weeks ago, Lee was in Kenya at the time. He's been

:54:53. > :54:56.training 120 hours a week pry pairing well. He says he's as

:54:56. > :55:00.prepared as well as he can be for the challenge here today. For these,

:55:00. > :55:05.it is about the clock. For the women, it is about winning in that

:55:05. > :55:09.little race. For here, they know if they run under 2:12 they have a

:55:09. > :55:13.great chance of being selected. Certainly for two of them. Ben

:55:13. > :55:16.Whitby is a policeman in London. He's had a year off work.

:55:17. > :55:23.Apparently he has to go back to work on Monday. I hope they might

:55:23. > :55:29.give him another day off to recover. You would have thought he'd said

:55:29. > :55:34.Tuesday. He'll be pretty stiff- legged on Monday! That group, that

:55:34. > :55:44.British group running competitively as they run through the eight-mile

:55:44. > :55:47.

:55:47. > :55:53.point. Scott Westcott there is failing way

:55:53. > :56:03.off the back. Many countries have sent their athletes to London to

:56:03. > :56:03.

:56:03. > :56:10.try to qualify, the Australians no different. We're having a chat

:56:10. > :56:16.through all the various tasks ahead of various people. The UK Athletics

:56:17. > :56:26.standard is not an IAAF standard for the Olympics. Various countries

:56:26. > :56:31.are aiming for slower times, if you like. Some wheelchair athletes

:56:31. > :56:41.going through there. Mary Keitany look comfortable to me. Aberu

:56:41. > :56:42.

:56:42. > :56:46.Kebede looks -- cab cab looks like and relaxed -- Kapuu.

:56:46. > :56:56.They need fast times if they are to push themselves forward. For the

:56:56. > :57:01.Kenyans, it is about coming in the top three in a good performance.

:57:01. > :57:06.Let's have a look at where we are. I saw two men in Newcastle shirts

:57:06. > :57:12.in the distance, Brendan, behind them. A little early on a Sunday

:57:12. > :57:18.morning for them! They are having a great year. London looking

:57:18. > :57:24.respendent. The world watching today. All eyes, of course, once we

:57:24. > :57:31.get to July 27th, the dome on the right-hand side will be one of the

:57:31. > :57:35.venues. Canary Wharf, the area they are heading into now, is an area

:57:35. > :57:41.that used to be an area which the runners didn't enjoy quite so much.

:57:41. > :57:46.It was quite quiet. There are good crowds gathering these days. It is

:57:46. > :57:51.easy to get across if you've been at the start from Greenwich. A good

:57:51. > :57:57.place where you can see the runners pass on a couple of occasions. The

:57:57. > :58:01.Olympic marathon doesn't quite head out this way but it has always been

:58:01. > :58:06.an important part of London Marathon. It is often the bit where

:58:06. > :58:14.one or two people start to struggle. One of the Ethiopians looks like

:58:14. > :58:23.she's going through a difficult patch here. Tsegaye Kebede in the

:58:23. > :58:33.leading group -- Kebede in the leading group. Mary Keitany. Lucy

:58:33. > :58:34.

:58:34. > :58:38.Kapuu on the outside. What a fascinating race this is. Priscah

:58:38. > :58:43.Jeptoo, Silver Medalist. You have the word champion sand the world

:58:43. > :58:49.champion Silver Medalist, Berlin champion, Mary Keitany, last year's

:58:49. > :58:58.winner. She's in there. You've Lucy Kapuu, last year's Great North Run

:58:58. > :59:03.winner and one Ethiopian in that group, abeer ewe kebed a. At the

:59:03. > :59:08.moment, you'd favour one of the Kenyans. But Kebede is in there

:59:08. > :59:18.amongst them. The pacemaker doing a terrific job. She's a class runner

:59:18. > :59:21.

:59:21. > :59:31.in her own right. Chep chep chep, the of a db Chepkirui. The gaps are

:59:31. > :59:35.opening. Florence Kiplagat is in there. Irina Mikitenko is a long

:59:35. > :59:39.way down there. All the talent we expected to be here is here. On top

:59:39. > :59:45.of that, we are getting a good race for the British athlete to go in

:59:45. > :59:51.the Olympic Games joining Paula Radcliffe in a few months' time on

:59:51. > :59:56.a slightly different course in this magnificent city. It looks at its

:59:56. > :59:59.very best today. Imagine what it will look like in August when the

:59:59. > :00:03.Olympic Games is here. Some of these athletes will be here. But

:00:03. > :00:09.only a few. The Pacemakers doing a goat job in the men's race. They

:00:09. > :00:13.are really accelerating, moving along. We've athletes who've run

:00:13. > :00:22.here before. And quickly. Last year's champion, Emmanuel Mutai,

:00:22. > :00:30.glancing over his shoulder. He sees the world champion. He sees

:00:30. > :00:34.London's most successful runner at the back of the group, oh, no, he's

:00:34. > :00:39.just dropped away from that group, Martin Lel, there was a lot of talk

:00:39. > :00:43.about Martin Lel. I can't quite see him in that group. I think he's

:00:43. > :00:48.just dropped off the back of the group. No, I can see him in the

:00:48. > :00:58.blue and red vest on the inside. The athlete who's won this race

:00:58. > :01:10.

:01:10. > :01:17.three thiepls times and been second in the British race. Scott Overall

:01:17. > :01:24.is setting the pace, but unfortunately, Ben Whitby and Lee

:01:24. > :01:27.Merrien are running slower, about 30 seconds down and he is

:01:27. > :01:35.maintaining so far anyway, I think if Swindon was to keep going at

:01:35. > :01:41.this pace, it would be a big surprise. Great traditions, Mark

:01:41. > :01:46.order, who ran brilliantly and make the team for the World Championship,

:01:46. > :01:52.the Commonwealth Games, where he won a bronze medal. The leading

:01:52. > :01:58.British at which at the moment. He is not wearing an elite number, 997.

:01:58. > :02:08.I reckon there are 20 seconds behind. There you can see, I

:02:08. > :02:10.

:02:10. > :02:15.suspect that group will contain Whitby and Marion. -- Merrien.

:02:15. > :02:22.Scott Overall's task was to run 2.12. That is what he has been

:02:22. > :02:29.doing. There he is. He is walking, there. Is he waiting for Lee

:02:29. > :02:34.Merrien? Is he saying, what is going on? He has given them a round

:02:34. > :02:43.of applause. Lee Merrien is within that group. But they need to speed

:02:43. > :02:46.up. They have got to get past next Swinburn. Scott Overall, his job is

:02:46. > :02:54.done and he is probably wondering what went wrong because they did

:02:54. > :02:58.not go with the pace that he was setting. This was a little while

:02:58. > :03:06.ago when Canary Wharf, Shelly Woods of Great Britain has amassed a big

:03:06. > :03:12.lead. Over everybody else. It will once ago she was locked together

:03:12. > :03:18.with the American, Amanda McGrory, who eventually went on to win it.

:03:19. > :03:23.But Shelly Woods is riding well. She has one minute ahead of her

:03:23. > :03:26.nearest challenger. She is not doing a tactical race, she is

:03:26. > :03:36.getting her head down and concentrating on exactly what

:03:36. > :03:39.

:03:39. > :03:46.genies to do and this is the best that is the best you have ever seen

:03:46. > :03:51.there, because, if she can keep up this pace it will be a perfect

:03:51. > :04:00.dress-rehearsal for the Paralympic Games in 125 days' time. She

:04:00. > :04:05.finished 4th in Beijing four years ago. Going absolutely superbly.

:04:05. > :04:15.Those chasing are about a minute and a half back, so surely, she is

:04:15. > :04:16.

:04:16. > :04:24.going to go and win the title once more. Back at one of the great

:04:24. > :04:28.landmarks. Over the meridian line through Greenwich Park. Itself it

:04:28. > :04:35.will be a venue in less than 100 days' time, and the masses

:04:35. > :04:40.beginning to come through, each of them with their story to tell, each

:04:40. > :04:48.of them with a story to tell about their the 26 mile race. Conditions

:04:48. > :04:53.still beautiful, it is going to get worse later on, but so far, so good.

:04:53. > :05:01.Everybody, by now, knows that this great landmark reopens to the

:05:01. > :05:09.public in four days time. Whatever else is happening in London, the

:05:09. > :05:19.Olympic Games, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, very soon.

:05:19. > :05:23.

:05:23. > :05:33.And there are those chasing Shelly Woods, being led by a Tsushida of

:05:33. > :05:39.

:05:39. > :05:45.Japan. And then Diane Roy of Canada. Then one of the male racers.

:05:45. > :05:55.Certainly, Diane Roy, going well. But it is Shelly Woods who is out

:05:55. > :06:05.

:06:05. > :06:11.where things start to happen in the race. We have only one pacemaker

:06:11. > :06:21.left. It is starting to pick up a little bit, still a row and the

:06:21. > :06:21.

:06:21. > :06:31.2.21 Mark. You can see there, the team mile mark. And the two

:06:31. > :06:34.

:06:34. > :06:44.Kiplagats, Kebede, all still there. This is the first time we have seen

:06:44. > :06:54.

:06:54. > :07:00.Louise Damen pushing it. Through 17 miles, still running a good pace,

:07:00. > :07:04.and Claire Hallasey settling in third. Now for the first time

:07:04. > :07:09.making an effort to try and break Louise Damen, who looks like she is

:07:09. > :07:13.having a problem, and Clare Murray, who was looking comfortable is now

:07:13. > :07:17.losing those few yards. This is the crucial point of the race for

:07:17. > :07:27.selection for the Great Britain team go stop clear how the sea is

:07:27. > :07:30.

:07:30. > :07:34.making the move, making the effort. -- Clare Hallasey. She is

:07:34. > :07:43.stretching them now. This is a significant point in the race to

:07:43. > :07:53.join Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi in the Olympic Games team.

:07:53. > :07:53.

:07:53. > :07:59.Woolley's Damen is still working hard at it. -- Louise Darmon. Has

:07:59. > :08:09.she still got the composure to stay in contention? Coach, Steve Jones,

:08:09. > :08:13.

:08:13. > :08:20.did a great job with Brian Murray, -- with Freya Murray. Clare

:08:20. > :08:27.Hallasey looking comfortable now. There is Louise Beamon, and Freya

:08:28. > :08:32.Murray just behind those two, and that gap opening up significantly.

:08:32. > :08:40.I think this is really significant. If you watch the difference in the

:08:40. > :08:48.action, Louise Damen has an awkward running style, but look at Clare

:08:48. > :08:53.Hallasey, good cadence, nice and a bright, nice and relaxed,

:08:53. > :08:59.conserving energy, but she is pushing, she is making a big effort,

:08:59. > :09:05.and look, Freya Murray, not able to do anything about this. It might be

:09:05. > :09:15.that she is managing to maintain and that these two are slowing down,

:09:15. > :09:31.

:09:32. > :09:39.but they have been running has made a break. He is just at the

:09:39. > :09:49.back of the pack hanging in there. It looks as if he is hanging on

:09:49. > :09:55.

:09:55. > :10:02.behind Marcel Hug at the front. Sujima, of Japan, is up there, too.

:10:02. > :10:05.We could have a repeat of last year. It looks like George Cassidy of

:10:05. > :10:14.Canada is not in the pack. That will be a big relief that he has

:10:14. > :10:23.not got too many people who can out-sprint him at the moment.

:10:23. > :10:28.Marcel Hug there, And the Japanese athlete, this could be the Japanese

:10:28. > :10:38.Paralympic trial, but once again it could be down to the sprinters when

:10:38. > :10:52.

:10:52. > :10:56.they get to the mile, in about 15 what is a slightly twisty section

:10:56. > :11:02.of the course, the elite women. That is one of the features of the

:11:02. > :11:07.course that has been mentioned. Some teams might want to think

:11:07. > :11:12.about runners that can negotiate a twisty course, because it is a lap

:11:12. > :11:22.course for the Olympics. The them, all important when you won the

:11:22. > :11:27.

:11:27. > :11:33.marathon, particularly the later stages. -- Rhythm all important.

:11:33. > :11:41.But, it is about winning today, it is about finishing in the top three

:11:41. > :11:51.minimum for these Kenyan athletes. You have got Edna Kiplagat,

:11:51. > :11:52.

:11:52. > :12:00.Florence Kiplagat, and then Jeptoo. The world have one of them record-

:12:00. > :12:05.holder, Mary Keitany. It is an array of Kenyan running talent

:12:05. > :12:14.there in front of us, and you can see those split times picking up.

:12:14. > :12:18.All of that little section, that is the best section of the race. That

:12:18. > :12:28.is hard running. If they maintain that all the way through that would

:12:28. > :12:28.

:12:28. > :12:37.be around 2.17-to 0.18. Freya Murray has caught Louise Damen.

:12:37. > :12:44.They are going down the road together. And they can see Claire

:12:44. > :12:49.Hallisey. They are setting of in pursuits. It is going to be a good,

:12:49. > :12:59.competitive race. Will it be strong enough? We will find that out, over

:12:59. > :13:01.

:13:01. > :13:07.time., selection point of view, of the British women's team, we have

:13:07. > :13:17.got Mara Yamauchi. And in the marathons, you get ups and downs,

:13:17. > :13:18.

:13:18. > :13:28.and there, you can see the gap up to Claire Hallissey. There's Claire

:13:28. > :13:28.

:13:28. > :13:32.Hallissey, running about 2.27-2.28. Behind her, Freya Murray coming on

:13:32. > :13:38.the third that of research, Louise Damen looks as if she is struggling.

:13:38. > :13:46.I thought that Freya Murray had looked good again in her pursuit of

:13:46. > :13:53.Claire Hallissey. There we see The Shard again, overlooking this

:13:53. > :14:00.magnificent city. Tower Bridge, there. The men approaching Tower

:14:00. > :14:04.Bridge. The crowds are wonderful today on Tower Bridge. The men

:14:04. > :14:13.relay are steaming along, actually running quicker than the course

:14:13. > :14:23.record pace set by Emmanuel Mutai last year. This is a very, very

:14:23. > :14:26.

:14:26. > :14:33.quick pace being set. They went through 11 miles in 52.22, I think

:14:33. > :14:41.it was. 12 miles completed, the halfway mark approaches. That will

:14:42. > :14:49.give us an indication. And last year, it was roundabout 62.5, or so,

:14:50. > :14:55.and we are looking at at least that kind of pace, here. That group, so

:14:55. > :15:04.full of talent, even at this pace, still five or six men they're going

:15:04. > :15:12.very quickly, so slightly different to the women. The talent is there.

:15:12. > :15:17.But they have really got to go for it. They certainly have. Making

:15:17. > :15:27.some news, catching people out. The pacemaker, being roared on by the

:15:27. > :15:35.

:15:35. > :15:45.by the crowd. Martin Lel is working well to get through. The young

:15:45. > :15:48.

:15:48. > :15:58.Ethiopian so among them. Bazu Worku and Tsegaye Kebede, fading away

:15:58. > :16:01.

:16:01. > :16:10.from the leading group. Bazu Worku of Ethiopia. Wilson Kipsang decides

:16:10. > :16:20.he does not want to follow the leader, he wants to be next to the

:16:20. > :16:25.

:16:25. > :16:31.leader. Tower Bridge and the South Bank. The Southwark airier. Wilson

:16:31. > :16:41.Kipsang looked so comfortable. He knows he can go fast and he can go

:16:41. > :16:51.

:16:51. > :17:01.them. I suspect he might not be doing himself too many favours. It

:17:01. > :17:03.

:17:03. > :17:09.is only to do this. I worry about somebody. There is the pacemaker.

:17:09. > :17:15.Wilson Kipsang has decided he wants to go more quickly. They will

:17:15. > :17:20.approach world-record pace if they keep doing theirs. This is

:17:20. > :17:28.approaching Tower Bridge. The British athletes will be getting

:17:28. > :17:34.information from the side of the course. Ben Whitby is fading off a

:17:34. > :17:39.little bet. That is quite interesting. There is and other

:17:39. > :17:47.British athlete, Nick's Swinburn, Inbetweeners Group and the rest of

:17:47. > :17:55.them. The crowds on Tower Bridge a getting their value for money. --

:17:55. > :18:03.are getting. Dave Webb could be selected. I wonder how quickly they

:18:03. > :18:08.will be able to go in the second half of the race. As far as I am

:18:08. > :18:16.aware, Nick Swinburn is ahead of the group will start they go

:18:16. > :18:25.through Tower Bridge. Ben Whitby is starting to struggle a bit. He

:18:25. > :18:32.looks a bit heavy in the legs. This group have not gone as quickly as

:18:32. > :18:40.they could have or should have. They have some work to do to run

:18:40. > :18:49.inside two minutes and 12 seconds. He has no more pacemakers. He will

:18:49. > :18:54.have to race this. The group is breaking up. Nick Swinburn, we

:18:54. > :19:04.think, is still a bit ahead of these. He certainly was about three

:19:04. > :19:05.

:19:05. > :19:15.kilometres back. Within sight of Big Ben, the men's leaders in a

:19:15. > :19:15.

:19:15. > :19:25.wheelchair race. It is still the Japanese athlete in a lead. Marcel

:19:25. > :19:27.

:19:27. > :19:37.Hug is also there. You can see Dave where in an excellent position. He

:19:37. > :19:38.

:19:38. > :19:48.has been watching over his shoulder. For the last corner, it is really

:19:48. > :19:58.tight. That is why he needs to be right at the front. This is

:19:58. > :19:59.

:19:59. > :20:07.interesting. Wilson Kipsang was fancied widely beforehand. This man

:20:07. > :20:13.was mentioned. Maybe we should have made a bit more notice, Feyisa

:20:13. > :20:23.Lilesa. He is running for his place. He knows he needs his personal best

:20:23. > :20:26.

:20:26. > :20:33.of two years ago. This is Nick Swinburn. He has slowed down. As

:20:33. > :20:41.far as I can work out, that is Tower Bridge, he is behind the

:20:41. > :20:48.others. He obviously went with the pace of Scott Overall. It was a bit

:20:48. > :20:58.quick for him. He has a long way to run and may be a tiring last few

:20:58. > :20:59.

:20:59. > :21:06.miles for him. Pretty much the sprint is on at the moment. David

:21:06. > :21:12.Weir is sitting comfortably in third place. At the moment number

:21:12. > :21:20.24 is prominent. That is Heinz Frei with the red and white cross on top

:21:20. > :21:26.of his helmet. Marcel Hug has been there right from the start. What

:21:26. > :21:34.has David Weir got left? In the White and the black, wearing No. 21

:21:34. > :21:41.on his helmet. This time last year, it all came down to a sprint finish.

:21:41. > :21:50.We are going to get a repeat performance. David Will it just

:21:50. > :21:58.snapped Heinz Frei. -- David we're just nudged. You saw him sitting up

:21:58. > :22:06.a bit. He is very relaxed and very comfortable. You cannot hear his

:22:06. > :22:15.change of speed. He puts a bit more power in. That is why it is hard

:22:15. > :22:23.for the guys to know how to respond. The crowds are massive. David Weir

:22:23. > :22:30.hits of the front. Marcel Hug is in second place. Then the Japanese

:22:30. > :22:37.athlete. The Paralympic champion on the track going for gold. This

:22:37. > :22:45.could be bitchery number six in a wheelchair marathon. -- victory No.

:22:45. > :22:54.6. He'd timed it absolutely perfectly. It is outside of the

:22:54. > :22:59.course record. It could be a big surprise in their place. David Weir

:22:59. > :23:08.is the victor. He set himself up beautifully bought an attack on all

:23:08. > :23:15.sorts of events at the Paralympic Games. What do you make of that?

:23:15. > :23:20.That is fantastic. Perfectly-timed and well executed. He is in the

:23:20. > :23:30.best position of his life going into the Paralympics later this

:23:30. > :23:32.

:23:32. > :23:38.year. We are entering the business end of the women's race. Mary

:23:38. > :23:48.Keitany trying to push on a little bit. We have lost Lucy Kapuu from

:23:48. > :23:48.

:23:48. > :23:53.the lead group. It is Florence Kiplagat. Mary Keitany was

:23:53. > :23:59.everybody's favourite coming into the race. She is the world record

:23:59. > :24:04.holder for the half marathon. In New York she went too fast in the

:24:04. > :24:09.first half and got caught. She lost a couple of minutes in the second

:24:09. > :24:15.half of the race. Today they are beginning to shift over these last

:24:15. > :24:21.five or six miles and the pressure is on. One by one they had dropped

:24:21. > :24:29.off the lead group. The four of them are still very much involved.

:24:30. > :24:38.Maybe the top freak will gain Olympic selection. -- top three.

:24:38. > :24:43.Mary Keitany looks relaxed now. Edna Kiplagat is actually the world

:24:43. > :24:49.champion. She ran brilliantly to win that race. Behind her Florence

:24:49. > :24:59.Kiplagat in third place. In 4th place, the World Championship

:24:59. > :25:13.

:25:13. > :25:18.silver medallist. This will be a fascinating race. Edna Kiplagat

:25:19. > :25:24.prepared to match strides with Mary Keitany, who we know can run a fast

:25:24. > :25:34.marathon. We are not sure she wants to run it exception a quickly today.

:25:34. > :25:36.

:25:36. > :25:43.This raised his gathering momentum. -- exceptionally quickly. Back in

:25:43. > :25:49.the battle of the Brits, Claire Hallissey is still leading. She

:25:49. > :25:57.knows she needs to stick to her task well because the this is not

:25:57. > :26:06.over by any stretch of the imagination. -- because this is not.

:26:06. > :26:16.Behind her is Freya Murray. She is past Louise stamens. She looks as

:26:16. > :26:16.

:26:16. > :26:24.though she is running strongly. -- Louise Damon. We are going to see

:26:24. > :26:31.the 35 kilometres splits coming through. That is only five seconds

:26:31. > :26:39.now. That gap appears to be closing. She has to control it now - control

:26:39. > :26:46.her emotions. This is an athlete we have suggested moving through the

:26:46. > :26:52.distances. 72 for the half marathon. Those two leading British athletes

:26:52. > :26:58.pulling well clear of Louise Damon. The race for the British team is

:26:58. > :27:08.between the other two. There is Libby's stamens. She is struggling

:27:08. > :27:09.

:27:09. > :27:19.a bit. -- Louise Damon. She has not been able to be the leading British

:27:19. > :27:21.

:27:21. > :27:27.athlete. The result from here will affect the selection. It is Mary

:27:27. > :27:32.Keitany and Edna Kiplagat, the world champion, in the lead. We

:27:32. > :27:36.have a fascinating race for the world title and a fascinating duel

:27:36. > :27:46.for the Kenyan Olympic team selection and a really interesting

:27:46. > :27:47.

:27:47. > :27:57.race between the two Brits. Claire Harris they -- Claire have a seat

:27:57. > :28:03.

:28:03. > :28:10.is leading from Freya Murray. -- Claire Hallissey. Good times by

:28:10. > :28:16.Mary Keitany and Edna Kiplagat. Mary Keitany putting the pressure

:28:16. > :28:21.on. She is making a big bid to win the marathon. The second half will

:28:21. > :28:31.be very quick indeed. They took their time of measuring each other

:28:31. > :28:35.up and deciding at what point to pick the pace up. It has been

:28:35. > :28:43.relentless from the pacemakers and now Mary Keitany, throwing down the

:28:43. > :28:49.gauntlet to the others. That gap is getting bigger with every stride.

:28:49. > :28:56.These two are themselves note that the top two places are disappearing

:28:56. > :29:01.at the moment. They want to finish third. This would be a private

:29:01. > :29:11.battle. They could gain selection if they finish in the top through.

:29:11. > :29:16.This is a Kenyan Olympic trial that we are watching. So, Mary Keitany,

:29:16. > :29:24.this huge talent has not always got it right in the marathon. She has

:29:24. > :29:30.got it right so far. She has opened up a gap. Claire Hallissey and

:29:30. > :29:38.Freya Murray it with their tussle, which I am sure will continue into

:29:39. > :29:47.the latter stages. They have both maintained a good pace. Claire

:29:47. > :29:57.Hallissey with a low and the left and economical style. -- any left.

:29:57. > :29:58.

:29:59. > :30:04.I should call her Dr Claire Hallissey. She has a PhD in

:30:04. > :30:12.immunology. This marathon career has been improving all the time.

:30:12. > :30:18.One thing we should mention, there was talk in a hotel that Paula

:30:18. > :30:25.Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi are selected, there are still three,

:30:25. > :30:31.four months to go. Any athlete, I am pretty short a reserve will be

:30:32. > :30:38.named. You never want anything to befall them. Freya Murray has to

:30:38. > :30:45.run as well as she possibly can. Event if she were not to gain

:30:45. > :30:49.immediate selection, there is always the possibility that

:30:49. > :30:54.somebody may drop out between now and the games. She will want this

:30:54. > :31:04.first marathon to be really positive. She can seek Claire

:31:04. > :31:12.

:31:12. > :31:17.world champion, Edna Kiplagat. Mary Keitany is trying to win this. In

:31:17. > :31:24.her most recent marathon, she tried to run a world record. The fastest

:31:24. > :31:29.ever halfway split in the New York Marathon. Here today, she has bided

:31:29. > :31:35.her time, taking it easy and now stretched away, at now opening up a

:31:35. > :31:42.few yards on at the Daegu world champion, Edna Kiplagat. The pace

:31:42. > :31:48.has been gathering momentum. They started off a lot slower than that.

:31:48. > :31:52.It is interesting to see that as the race goes further, and she gets

:31:52. > :31:58.into her momentum better, she is opening up a gap, and that gap is

:31:58. > :32:06.going to take her under the 2.20 mark. They Edna Kiplagat is not

:32:06. > :32:12.going to get up, she is sticking to her task. Looking back at the men's

:32:12. > :32:19.race, we will see more Kenyan athletes now being challenged.

:32:19. > :32:24.has won the last 10 K into a to 2.24, which could be under 2.17,

:32:24. > :32:34.that is why she has built up a big lead. And the men's race is

:32:34. > :32:35.

:32:35. > :32:41.interesting, there is the world champion. He has won so quickly.

:32:41. > :32:45.That split is very impressive. This is very quick running for the men,

:32:45. > :32:52.heading for world record pace, within range of the world record.

:32:52. > :32:58.We have seen a world record in London, 10 years ago. These three

:32:58. > :33:04.men if they keep running like that, and there, Lee Merrien, I am

:33:04. > :33:13.pleased to say, has gone through halfway in the round 66.5 minutes,

:33:13. > :33:21.which is about 2.30. I guess that he is the only British man with a

:33:21. > :33:24.chance of getting close to that two. Well. It would be nice to see more

:33:24. > :33:28.than one British athlete in the men's marathon. It is going to be a

:33:28. > :33:33.phenomenal event in the Olympic Games in London this summer. For

:33:33. > :33:37.people who could not get tickets to watch the athletics in the stadium,

:33:37. > :33:43.they will be able to see the marathon on the streets. It is a

:33:43. > :33:48.slightly different course to this with four laps round the centre of

:33:48. > :33:52.London which will be more crowded, more to see, more action going on,

:33:52. > :34:02.it will be an incredible event. And it is in free event for the people

:34:02. > :34:04.

:34:04. > :34:10.of London to come and watch. -- a free event. Can he keep this going?

:34:10. > :34:13.He has to pick up the pace of that the big and stick to his task. The

:34:13. > :34:20.athlete from Guernsey has been good over the years and this would be

:34:20. > :34:30.the pinnacle of his career, if he could make the Olympic Games. Now,

:34:30. > :34:34.

:34:34. > :34:38.the race is on. One of the coaches last night contacted me to say that

:34:38. > :34:46.I should watch this athlete. The second fastest one hour of all time

:34:46. > :34:49.in the marathon, be built Carew, the world champion, he ran 59

:34:49. > :34:53.minutes for a half-marathon recently. This would be a big lift

:34:53. > :34:57.for him, but he has been running well in training, things have been

:34:57. > :35:05.looking good for him, but there are some good athletes down the road

:35:05. > :35:09.behind these three. Shelly Woods coming up towards Big Ben. Tanni,

:35:09. > :35:15.you said this was the best form you had seen her in. Does that still

:35:15. > :35:19.stand? This is amazing for Shelly Woods. She has always been in the

:35:19. > :35:23.pack, there or thereabouts, in the past, but the other sprinters are

:35:23. > :35:28.just sat on her will, and then come pattern the final few stages, but

:35:28. > :35:32.she pressed the sprinters out early on, and by Tower Bridge, she had

:35:32. > :35:37.made a massive decision and had a gap of one minute on the rest of

:35:37. > :35:47.the pack and even working together they could not win her back in, so

:35:47. > :35:49.

:35:49. > :35:55.this is fantastic for Shelly Woods. -- wind her back in. The son has

:35:55. > :35:59.certainly helping take the chill off the air that there was early on,

:35:59. > :36:04.and you can see them struggling, because these men are operating at

:36:04. > :36:08.world record pace. Wilson Kipsang has done this course before. It

:36:08. > :36:13.will Carew has won the World Championship or on two occasions

:36:13. > :36:22.but this is new territory for an, there have been reports that it had

:36:22. > :36:32.been going well for able Carew. He is the father of twin boys, and

:36:32. > :36:35.

:36:35. > :36:39.whether she a -- Abel Kirui. -- earlier this year. The adulation

:36:39. > :36:46.that these guys get, it is difficult for us to relate how

:36:46. > :36:53.famous these guys are, in Kenya, like Premier League footballers are

:36:53. > :36:58.here in the UK. Everyone wants some of their time. Abel Kirui looks

:36:58. > :37:08.good, Wilson Kipsang looks good. He is moving around the road, messing

:37:08. > :37:19.

:37:19. > :37:29.have been here every year since 1924, was there the rhinoceros and

:37:29. > :37:31.

:37:31. > :37:37.the first year?! The vantage points have all been taken. This is the

:37:37. > :37:44.real London Marathon, the characters, that is quite

:37:44. > :37:49.interesting. That Cutty Sark, six miles, you know you are on your way,

:37:49. > :37:54.and the entertainment been provided is terrific. It is just wonderful,

:37:54. > :38:04.and the weather has done well for us so far, it is still cool, but it

:38:04. > :38:09.

:38:09. > :38:14.She has dominated this race from about the halfway point. And you

:38:15. > :38:20.cannot fault what she has done today. It is amazing what she has

:38:20. > :38:24.done. Defeated the best women in the world. She has laid down a

:38:24. > :38:29.marker for the marathon. She got the silver medal in Beijing, but

:38:29. > :38:32.she is in an amazing position for London this year. We expected there

:38:32. > :38:37.to race on the track, but she is in an amazing position to win the

:38:37. > :38:40.marathon as well. She has been in such good form. To beat the other

:38:40. > :38:47.woman by three minutes is absolutely stunning for Shelly

:38:47. > :38:52.Woods. If she goes down to Australia, to train and so on, she

:38:52. > :38:57.has been racing on the track down there, so she has put in Max on

:38:57. > :39:00.speed work, do you think you can tell? It has given her a huge

:39:01. > :39:05.amount of confidence. Because see the way she is pushing, perfect

:39:05. > :39:11.stroke. This is technically the best she has ever pushed. She is

:39:11. > :39:18.not struggling, just keeping the pace high. She has consolidated our

:39:18. > :39:28.technique, as she wins. She is the champion again, Shelly Woods wins

:39:28. > :39:49.

:39:49. > :39:55.she has totally dominated this race. course, Mary Keitany has the lead

:39:55. > :40:00.to herself. She got it wrong in New York, getting it right here in

:40:00. > :40:06.London. It has been a brilliant display of distance running in the

:40:07. > :40:11.last eight or nine miles. Very quick marathon racing. That has

:40:11. > :40:18.taken her away from the rest of the field. She is heading for victory,

:40:18. > :40:23.bringing the time down all the time. It is going to be under 2.24. What

:40:23. > :40:28.about the British race? This is Freya Murray. And then the distance

:40:28. > :40:33.is Claire Hallissey. That gap is around 10 seconds. It has not

:40:33. > :40:39.changed much. Claire Hallissey maybe even inside 2.27 if she can

:40:39. > :40:43.finish strongly. Freya Murray needs to finish strongly, she is heading

:40:43. > :40:48.for a great marathon debut, but at the moment, it is Claire Hallissey,

:40:48. > :40:53.who is looking strong and is in a position to take that Olympic berth.

:40:54. > :40:57.Certainly is. Less than three miles to go, and Claire Hallissey look as

:40:57. > :41:04.if she went through a bad point, now, she has gathered herself, she

:41:04. > :41:08.is keeping going and sticking to it. This is second and third place in

:41:08. > :41:18.the women's will put -- wheelchair marathon, it gives you an idea how

:41:18. > :41:24.dominant Shelly Woods was. That is the official world record holder of

:41:24. > :41:29.this event, and alongside the, Diane Roy, the champion back in

:41:29. > :41:34.2006. Like we saw in the men's race, I guess we are going to see a

:41:34. > :41:37.sprint finish. It has been very tactical for second and third, they

:41:38. > :41:41.have been working tactically together, but could not make any

:41:41. > :41:47.gains on Shelly Woods, but it just shows you how Shelly Woods has

:41:47. > :41:55.annihilated the best women in the world. Yes, the performance of

:41:55. > :41:59.Shelly Woods was something to marvel at. Everybody was here,

:41:59. > :42:03.everybody who is anybody in the women's wheelchair Marathon, so if

:42:03. > :42:10.you're looking for the form book to follow for the Paralympic marathon

:42:10. > :42:15.or track events, Shelly Woods has got to be up there. They have got

:42:15. > :42:20.nothing left. Normally you see the woman kicking round the bend, it is

:42:20. > :42:24.a slight rise to the finish but there is absolutely nothing year,

:42:24. > :42:32.both of them have slowed down and you can see that this marathon has

:42:32. > :42:42.been very tough on them. 26 miles is tough, and it is Diane Roy who

:42:42. > :42:44.

:42:44. > :42:51.heads round, and half a metre behind her is Tushida. Who is your

:42:51. > :42:57.money on? My money is on Diane Roy. She's very close, coming round the

:42:57. > :43:00.outside. And she is coming through! I had written how of about 20

:43:00. > :43:10.seconds ago but she is so strong in this final finish and Diane Roy has

:43:10. > :43:11.

:43:12. > :43:18.had enough. The Canadian has got nothing left, it is Tushida of

:43:18. > :43:28.Japan. She takes over, but no doubt about the winner, it was Shelly

:43:28. > :43:48.

:43:48. > :43:53.Woods of Great Britain who came in She has torn this field apart. 5.02,

:43:53. > :43:57.for 25 miles, almost unbelievable at this stage of the marathon, the

:43:57. > :44:03.last 10 or 11 miles have been some of the best marathon running you

:44:03. > :44:08.will ever see. No wonder, given the talent that was on display. Left

:44:08. > :44:14.trailing in the wake of weary Keitany. Just about one mile to go,

:44:14. > :44:24.Big Ben looming over her, looking resplendent in the sunshine. She

:44:24. > :44:25.

:44:25. > :44:31.knows that victory and a good time is hers, and Olympic selection, the

:44:31. > :44:36.big bonus. Mary Keitany, she is not the tallest of marathon runners,

:44:36. > :44:42.but she is full of talent and ability and it is a tough task for

:44:42. > :44:48.those behind. Yes there is some talent behind. Edna Kiplagat, the

:44:48. > :44:52.world champion from Daegu. We will be seen how back on the Embankment

:44:52. > :44:56.later this year in the Olympic Games representing Kenya, and they

:44:56. > :45:03.are looking for the third Kenyan athlete, there they are, coming

:45:03. > :45:06.along, the world champions or medallist, from Kenya, in third

:45:06. > :45:12.place today, Edna Kiplagat still running strongly, still sticking to

:45:12. > :45:18.her task, and the race getting quicker and quicker. Mary Keitany

:45:18. > :45:23.running faster and faster. The gap opening up more and more. Mary

:45:23. > :45:27.Keitany is if the normal athlete, last your's champion, running the

:45:27. > :45:32.row jumping into second place, looking safe in their positions,

:45:32. > :45:37.and it is quarter past 11 on Big Ben, and we can see the setting a

:45:37. > :45:42.long towards The Mall, St James's Park on the right hand side,

:45:42. > :45:47.looking brilliant, Birdcage Walk a ways, the crowds awaiting in

:45:47. > :45:55.phenomenal numbers in The Mall. And as we look down to the trees, were

:45:55. > :46:00.looking for the lead athlete. That is the tiny figure of last year's

:46:00. > :46:05.champion. She has only one four marathons and is on her way to a

:46:05. > :46:08.second victory in London, she has won new York Place, she was in

:46:08. > :46:12.third place on both of those occasions. When she comes round the

:46:12. > :46:17.corner, she will smile a little because this is the first time I

:46:17. > :46:20.have ever seen an athlete live in the London Marathon. We have been

:46:20. > :46:24.in the studio in the past, when they are sitting in the commentary

:46:24. > :46:29.box, a wonderful place to be, because you can sense the at this

:46:29. > :46:37.beer, and Mary Keitany is an athlete who will head down The Mall,

:46:37. > :46:41.for the second time. In a few minutes' time. We think she is

:46:41. > :46:51.going to one under 2.20. She has been responsible for the pace being

:46:51. > :47:04.

:47:04. > :47:09.which will tell her how far up to go. She is enjoying be second half.

:47:09. > :47:18.Dave Bedford is stepping down as race director. He has put a

:47:18. > :47:24.phenomenal built together. There is less than 600 metres to go for Mary

:47:24. > :47:29.Keitany. We will see her again in a few months time. You would not bet

:47:29. > :47:37.against her as being the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic

:47:37. > :47:47.Games. Edna Kiplagat, the world champion, not good enough today and

:47:47. > :47:53.Priscah Jeptoo, in third place. She is tired. Not surprising. It looks

:47:53. > :47:58.like Florence Kiplagat in 4th place, the Berlin champion. You wonder if

:47:58. > :48:05.the Kenyon selectors will stick with Florence Kiplagat or will the

:48:05. > :48:13.first three across the line be the Kenyan team? Coming into The Mall

:48:13. > :48:18.very short he will be the tiny figure from Kenya. -- shortly.

:48:18. > :48:26.Keitany from Kenya has led through the second half of the race in

:48:26. > :48:32.super quick time. She has run the second half of the marathon in a

:48:32. > :48:40.time most people would be proud of for that distance alone. She wanted

:48:40. > :48:44.her husband to celebrate with her. That is what she is able to do. It

:48:44. > :48:49.will be a personal best for Mary Keitany. She will win and retain

:48:49. > :48:56.her title in the London Marathon and head for the Olympics later

:48:56. > :49:00.this year. A stunning performance in the last 10 miles or so. One of

:49:00. > :49:06.the quickest marathons and perhaps the quickest second half of a

:49:06. > :49:14.marathon we have seen in recent times. Mary Keitany, absolutely

:49:14. > :49:24.unbeatable today. Full of running at the end. Completely destroyed

:49:24. > :49:27.

:49:27. > :49:32.her team-mates and her rivals. Particularly from 23 miles onwards.

:49:32. > :49:39.Look at the gap she was able to put between herself and Edna Kiplagat,

:49:39. > :49:43.the world champion, who has hung on well. Nobody could do anything

:49:43. > :49:48.about Mary Keitany today. If she runs like that in the Olympic Games,

:49:48. > :49:55.I would suggest she would place herself as an early favourite for

:49:55. > :49:59.the gold medal. Edna Kiplagat takes second place. It is going to read

:49:59. > :50:09.just inside two minutes and 20. That will be a new personal best

:50:09. > :50:10.

:50:10. > :50:20.for her as well. She must wonder how on earth you live with that

:50:20. > :50:23.

:50:23. > :50:33.pace over the last two or three miles. For at those two, Olympic

:50:33. > :50:42.

:50:42. > :50:49.up will the Kenyon selectors rate that performance more highly than

:50:49. > :50:55.that of Florence Kiplagat in Berlin? What a performance from

:50:55. > :51:01.these three! What a performance from Mary Keitany. We had just had

:51:01. > :51:07.confirmation that, for the last few miles, she ran faster than Paula

:51:07. > :51:11.Radcliffe when she set be phenomenal record. Florence

:51:12. > :51:17.Kiplagat coming through in two hours and 20. That is not quick

:51:17. > :51:22.enough to represent Kennett in the Olympic Games in London later this

:51:22. > :51:27.year. -- represent Kenya will stab you would have to say the Kenyan

:51:27. > :51:32.team would be looking towards London this year to win their first

:51:32. > :51:42.ever gold medal in the Olympic Games marathon. Well done to them

:51:42. > :51:43.

:51:43. > :51:50.so far. Big Ben on the Noss of the river and the London Eye on the

:51:50. > :52:00.south. That is what the runners fix their eyes on. They know they need

:52:00. > :52:01.

:52:01. > :52:11.to maintain into the finish from that point. Claire Hallissey is in

:52:11. > :52:12.

:52:12. > :52:15.the top 10 in the London Marathon. Claire Hallissey seems at this

:52:15. > :52:25.point, unless something horrendous were to happen in the last few

:52:25. > :52:27.

:52:27. > :52:33.minutes, running herself into the Olympic team. She is on schedule.

:52:33. > :52:39.Her time is two hours and 28 minutes and 24 seconds. That is the

:52:39. > :52:44.time they have all had as the target. Claire Hallissey will know

:52:44. > :52:50.she needs to be strong in the last mile and that the Olympic place

:52:50. > :53:00.could be hers. When Claire Hallissey hears the crowd today,

:53:00. > :53:00.

:53:00. > :53:09.she will be determined to do well. Freya Murray is chasing her. There

:53:09. > :53:15.is Lucy Kapuu coming through. I think she is in 5th place. Another

:53:15. > :53:21.Kenyan athlete. We will have to watch -- she will have to watch the

:53:21. > :53:29.Olympic Games this year on television. We are going to look

:53:29. > :53:34.back down the road further and, hopefully, enjoy the moment, was

:53:34. > :53:41.the women are finishing and receiving accolades. The men are

:53:41. > :53:49.still battling it out. If we look down the road, we look at the

:53:49. > :53:58.runners coming along towards Tower Bridge and the Embankment. The

:53:58. > :54:07.second fastest marathon runner of all time, Wilson Tukiire -- Wilson

:54:07. > :54:17.Kit sang of Kenya. He has blown the field apart. The race is still

:54:17. > :54:21.

:54:21. > :54:29.going on behind him. Wilson Kipsang, the only man who is able to run

:54:29. > :54:39.faster than highly Caprice are massive. That is really good

:54:39. > :54:44.performing. He looks relaxed and he looks strong. Has he done enough?

:54:44. > :54:50.Tsegaye Kebede are just coming in will start she had hoped to run

:54:50. > :54:58.very well today. She knew she would have had to do something in the

:54:58. > :55:08.region of two minutes and 20, two minutes and 20 fog. We are looking

:55:08. > :55:29.

:55:29. > :55:34.for Clare had a suit. -- two Olympics in 2008. -- ran. She will

:55:34. > :55:44.be looking forward to coming back and competing for Germany in the

:55:44. > :55:49.

:55:49. > :55:59.Olympic Games. That is a solid run from her today. That is a solid run

:55:59. > :56:00.

:56:00. > :56:10.from deep Portuguese athlete. She has already in selected bulls do

:56:10. > :56:12.

:56:12. > :56:22.have -- already been selected will start she is not able to improve on

:56:22. > :56:32.that. Her chances of Ethiopian selection disappeared. While we are

:56:32. > :56:33.

:56:33. > :56:40.waiting for Claire Hallissey, Lee Merrion is heading for about two

:56:40. > :56:47.minutes and 12 seconds. We are waiting for the first British

:56:47. > :56:52.athlete, which should be Claire Hallissey. The crowds are gathering

:56:52. > :56:56.outside Buckingham Palace. They will give a big roar when the

:56:56. > :57:03.announcer tells everyone we are waiting for the first British

:57:03. > :57:13.athlete. Up it looks as though she is waiting strong enough. The

:57:13. > :57:17.

:57:17. > :57:25.crowds sense, at the Bristol athlete. There is Jelena Prokopcuka

:57:25. > :57:31.well stuck Claire Hallissey of Great Britain and Bristol Athletic

:57:31. > :57:37.Club. That would put her straight into the team. Claire Hallissey

:57:37. > :57:46.looks up. She is watching the clock and looking at the finishing line.

:57:46. > :57:54.It has been a superb run was dug they knew what their task was. --

:57:55. > :58:02.beak task was. A smile breaks out across her face. Claire Hallissey

:58:02. > :58:12.is the first British athlete home. Well done to her! The paint and the

:58:12. > :58:12.

:58:12. > :58:20.glory all wrapped up in one. -- pain. That is quicker than the time

:58:20. > :58:26.that Jo Pavey ran. It will be very close with Freya Murray. She is

:58:26. > :58:32.also inside the time requested of these athletes. She can be very

:58:32. > :58:37.proud of her first performance. Not quite good enough to beat Claire

:58:37. > :58:43.Hallissey. They have worked so hard. They were training in Colorado

:58:43. > :58:52.before they came to London. That is good for British marathon running

:58:52. > :58:57.with both of them having such good performances today. Big smiles come

:58:57. > :59:05.out well done to the two of them. Freya Murray almost looks as if she

:59:05. > :59:10.can do it again. She will have a big Korea ahead of her in marathon

:59:10. > :59:17.running. Claire Hallissey looks as though she is looking forward to

:59:17. > :59:23.wearing the British vest. What the debut by Freya Murray. She is based

:59:23. > :59:30.in the North East of England. Claire Hallissey is based in the

:59:30. > :59:38.United States. Two brilliant performances by the British

:59:38. > :59:48.athletes. After all of that excitement, it is always special in

:59:48. > :59:49.

:59:49. > :59:55.their Olympic Year. Anderson is just coming in. She was up for

:59:55. > :00:05.selection. She has already ran another marathon be shared. She has

:00:05. > :00:22.

:00:22. > :00:32.faded rather badly in the last five there was another clock ticking for

:00:32. > :00:37.

:00:37. > :00:46.the men's race. There is may be another 15 minutes left. Wilson

:00:46. > :00:54.Kipsang has been in the lead. He is standing strong. A good mile

:00:54. > :01:00.through 20, another good mile through 21. The pace is close

:01:00. > :01:06.enough. It is within striking distance of the world record. It is

:01:06. > :01:15.heading towards a course record. It depends how strongly he can finish

:01:15. > :01:20.it. World -- they have gone very strongly in the last five

:01:20. > :01:25.kilometres. Louise Damant is coming through. She really tried to become

:01:25. > :01:31.the first British athlete to finish. She will be a bit disappointed but

:01:32. > :01:38.she does not need to be. It is her third marathon. She is really

:01:38. > :01:44.struggling to day. She will be under two minutes and 32. She has

:01:44. > :01:54.had a hard day. Two British factories are already selected for

:01:54. > :02:04.

:02:04. > :02:09.far as Britain is concerned, is complete, but what about Lee

:02:10. > :02:16.Merrien? He has got stronger as the race has gone on. There was a

:02:16. > :02:21.little bit of a slow start and that is what he has to do, 2.12 exactly.

:02:21. > :02:24.He has been running well, passing athletes, and that is a good thing

:02:24. > :02:30.in the latter stages, but he has got to pick up and find a little

:02:30. > :02:36.bit of time. Three kilometres ago, his splits suggested he was heading

:02:36. > :02:45.for around two. Well of, but he will have to finish strongly. He

:02:45. > :02:52.will know the splits. He nos what Denise to run. -- he knows what the

:02:52. > :02:58.knees to run. Can he put himself in contention for Olympic selection?

:02:58. > :03:05.He has gained huge support along the route. The athletics fans will

:03:05. > :03:09.know that he is the first of the British athletes here. Not sure

:03:09. > :03:13.whether he is lifting his knees as well as he was. He seemed to be

:03:13. > :03:18.forcing the pace at that point. He knew that he had to pick it up a

:03:19. > :03:28.little bit. Just wondering whether his stride length is shortening a

:03:29. > :03:29.

:03:29. > :03:35.little. The leader, Kipsang of Kenya, looking strong, can he give

:03:35. > :03:40.us something really special in these final kilometres? The course

:03:40. > :03:45.record set last year by Emmanuel Mutai. They are running at a pace

:03:45. > :03:49.that says that as a target, but what about the world record? He

:03:49. > :03:54.would have to go quickly in the last couple of miles, to achieve

:03:54. > :04:02.that. The world champion has a glance behind. He is in clear

:04:02. > :04:12.second place at the moment. It looks as though the gap is starting

:04:12. > :04:13.

:04:13. > :04:19.to increase. That split up that we saw was for Wilson Kipsang, that is

:04:19. > :04:27.a slow, 4.53. It looks as if they have done their running our win the

:04:27. > :04:32.race and that is about maintaining it, not forcing it, at this point.

:04:32. > :04:37.His best time is the second fastest of all time, only four seconds

:04:37. > :04:42.outside the world record. And in a race like today, sometimes you need

:04:42. > :04:48.to won the race, rather than run a time trial. He has been in the race,

:04:48. > :04:52.he has seen off those athletes, he has seen off last year's champion,

:04:53. > :04:57.the world champion, and the world record holder. He looks as if you

:04:57. > :05:04.settling into his running. It is going to be a quick time, close to

:05:04. > :05:14.the best that has ever been one, you. And here is Martin Lel. In

:05:14. > :05:30.

:05:30. > :05:38.about 5th place. Two former winners bit of momentum, or it can do the

:05:38. > :05:43.opposite, you can really start feeling it. Not suggesting that the

:05:43. > :05:47.world record is within reach any more. They will be thinking about

:05:47. > :05:55.getting stronger to the finish line and getting in as good a

:05:55. > :06:02.performance as possible. Wilson Kipsang obviously likes fine

:06:02. > :06:06.thought, he won the marathon there two years in a row. He prepared so

:06:06. > :06:12.well for the World Championships. I can tell you that one session he

:06:12. > :06:20.did in training was to have been times 1,000 metres, at altitude.

:06:20. > :06:26.Incredible, that is impressive running in any one's book. Here is

:06:26. > :06:30.Lee Merrien, the first British athlete today, can he won under the

:06:30. > :06:36.2.12 Mark? He deserves a place, for me is just outside the position

:06:36. > :06:40.that would have qualified him automatically for the Olympic Games.

:06:41. > :06:46.He finished 22nd and the World Championship. There he is, Lee

:06:46. > :06:50.Merrien, getting used to the marathon. He would not be quite as

:06:50. > :07:00.quick I would suggest when it comes to the Olympic Games in London. He

:07:00. > :07:04.is getting good support from the crowd on the other side. There is

:07:04. > :07:09.Lee Merrien, from Guernsey. Representing Guernsey in the

:07:09. > :07:13.Commonwealth Games, and Great Britain in the World Championships.

:07:13. > :07:20.Still running strongly. Let's hope he can stick to it over the last

:07:20. > :07:26.part of the race. The difficulty for Lee Merrien is he needs to find

:07:26. > :07:31.about 30 seconds, at 10 seconds a mile, it does not sound a lot, but

:07:31. > :07:34.when you won that bar in the marathon, that is a lot. I have a

:07:34. > :07:40.horrible peeling that he is going to be heading for something just a

:07:40. > :07:48.little bit outside to. Wealth, that he is heading for. He has run

:07:48. > :07:58.particularly strongly in the second part of the race, but to point will

:07:58. > :08:00.

:08:00. > :08:10.is -- 2.12 is the A standard. And that is the actual time there come

:08:10. > :08:13.

:08:13. > :08:20.on Big Ben. Just under two hours ago they set off, and there is Lee

:08:20. > :08:25.Merrien, every stride is hurting, every muscle. All the miles he has

:08:26. > :08:31.been doing every week out in Kenya. Training hard, harder than he has

:08:31. > :08:36.ever done before, every day, thinking about what these last few

:08:36. > :08:46.miles are like, hoping that the result would be a good one, hoping

:08:46. > :08:59.

:08:59. > :09:07.that he can get the reward that he All these great Kenyan athletes,

:09:07. > :09:15.Jeffrey Mutai, who had a bad run in Boston, the weather had a major

:09:15. > :09:21.effect. But, is this the man they might look do, not Abel Kirui, not

:09:21. > :09:31.Patrick Makau. Is this the man they might look to for the Olympic

:09:31. > :09:32.

:09:32. > :09:36.Games? Here is Liz Yelling of Great Britain, getting some big cheers.

:09:36. > :09:41.She has had a great career, represented Britain in the Olympics

:09:41. > :09:48.a couple of times and you sense that this might be the end of the

:09:48. > :09:55.road for marathon running for Liz Yelling. A smile on her face.

:09:55. > :10:00.Roundabout pools 40 minutes. -- two hours and 40 minutes. That is a

:10:00. > :10:06.long way short of a best standard. She has been a great servant to

:10:06. > :10:12.Great Britain's women's running. Encouraging other women and

:10:12. > :10:17.youngsters how to prepare properly. She is crossing the line, just

:10:17. > :10:26.under two hours and 40 minutes. She has been a great servant to British

:10:26. > :10:36.athletics. I don't think we will see her running at the Olympics

:10:36. > :10:42.

:10:43. > :10:49.than the rest of us, as she put it. She has not had the preparation and

:10:49. > :10:55.she would admit that, you get to appointing a Korea were, to produce

:10:55. > :11:01.the performances you would like, it becomes more and more difficult.

:11:01. > :11:06.Wilson Kipsang, along the Embankment. He has dominated the

:11:06. > :11:13.latter stages of this race. Solid running on the back of a good pace

:11:13. > :11:18.early on. More of a war of attrition in the men's race than in

:11:18. > :11:22.the women's. In the women's it was about turning it on in the last 15

:11:22. > :11:28.kilometres. It was hard, from the beginning, for the men, with a good

:11:28. > :11:33.pace being set. This is the man who strongest on the day. This is the

:11:33. > :11:39.man who has come to London in the best shape, ready to produce

:11:39. > :11:45.equipped performance that am sure many of his rivals would have hoped

:11:45. > :11:49.they could. I am sure that the Kenyan selectors, who are very wise

:11:49. > :11:52.men, would have selected them straight away, put him in the team

:11:52. > :11:58.and let him look forward to enjoying another trip round London

:11:58. > :12:02.in a few months' time, along the Embankment is part of that course,

:12:02. > :12:07.along The Mall is the finish of the Olympic course. He has run a

:12:07. > :12:17.brilliant race today. London has never looked better, in all its

:12:17. > :12:24.

:12:24. > :12:30.glory, than it has today. The London I would be a great vantage

:12:30. > :12:34.point -- London Eye, would be a great vantage point. And there is

:12:34. > :12:38.Lee Merrien. I'm sure that the British selectors will want another

:12:38. > :12:42.marathon runner in the team, and can Lee Merrien get that time and

:12:42. > :12:52.make it easy for the selectors, just like Claire Hallissey has done

:12:52. > :12:56.

:12:56. > :13:05.in the women's race? Can he do a something more. He has gone through

:13:05. > :13:14.22 miles in just inside 1.57. That suggests he has got three and a

:13:14. > :13:19.quarter miles to go, and that might be a tough ask. Wilson Kipsang, he

:13:19. > :13:23.is a man who knows what it is like to run this fast. He is the second

:13:23. > :13:28.fastest of all time. He has slipped a little bit away from the world

:13:28. > :13:33.record pace of the last couple of miles, but you still within

:13:33. > :13:40.striking distance of the course record, set last year by the winner,

:13:40. > :13:48.Emmanuel Mutai, and I am not sure he is moving quick as quickly as he

:13:48. > :13:58.was. He does not need to. All the damage was done early on. He has

:13:58. > :14:03.

:14:03. > :14:08.shown the state of is fit this year, today. -- his fitness here today.

:14:08. > :14:12.Being roared on by these fantastic race. It will just be noise all the

:14:12. > :14:15.way to the finish. The London Marathon has enjoyed a glorious

:14:15. > :14:20.morning and has attracted a huge number of spectators. The weather

:14:20. > :14:25.conditions have been good for distance running. If he keeps going

:14:26. > :14:29.like this he could be the fastest man we have ever seen in London.

:14:29. > :14:36.Already the second fastest marathon runner of all time. The crowds are

:14:36. > :14:43.waiting, at quarter to 12 or on a beautiful Sunday morning, to be led

:14:43. > :14:53.home by Wilson Kipsang. Then, 37,000 others. The crowds were

:14:53. > :14:54.

:14:54. > :14:59.still the year in five years' time. -- still be here in five hours'

:14:59. > :15:03.time. He won the Frankfurt marathon last year and became the second

:15:03. > :15:11.fastest marathon runner all-time, eclipsing the great Haile

:15:11. > :15:16.Gebrselassie. You know that he will have information which will tell

:15:16. > :15:19.them that he has got to stick with the past, he has got to keep

:15:19. > :15:24.pushing if he wants that course record. And why wouldn't he want to

:15:24. > :15:32.lead the Kenyan team year, and why would he not run into the selectors

:15:32. > :15:38.books, to make it automatic? Wilson Kipsang, a man who has only one

:15:38. > :15:45.four marathons but, after he got used to it, his first one in 2010,

:15:45. > :15:50.he became pretty good, he has won his last three and is on his way to

:15:50. > :16:00.winning his 4th. That looks like a Abel Kirui, the world champion. He

:16:00. > :16:14.

:16:14. > :16:23.is slowing down as the clock ticks struggling now. Tsegaye Kebede may

:16:24. > :16:33.well end up catching his team-mate. The first Ethiopian home in a good

:16:34. > :16:34.

:16:34. > :16:41.time might have a chance of selection for the Ethiopian team.

:16:41. > :16:47.That first half certainly has been some think a lot of them have found

:16:47. > :16:56.difficult to maintain in the second half of the race this year. It has

:16:56. > :17:01.been difficult for the selectors. You cannot compare this course with

:17:01. > :17:08.Dubai pulls up you cannot compare New York because that is a really

:17:08. > :17:14.difficult course. It really is difficult. That is why, with the

:17:14. > :17:24.African countries, they have selectors who know a lot about

:17:24. > :17:24.

:17:24. > :17:30.selecting and distance running. Martin now -- they may be running

:17:30. > :17:40.themselves into selection board the Olympic Games. If I was a selector,

:17:40. > :17:45.

:17:45. > :17:54.I would pick Saadi and I would also pick Martin Lel. -- Tsegaye Kebede.

:17:54. > :18:02.He is good at breaking up the rhythm. He has ran strongly today.

:18:02. > :18:07.Another good, solid performance from Martin Lel. That is the site

:18:07. > :18:15.that awaits them in just about three-quarters of a mile. When they

:18:15. > :18:20.turn the corner, about 200m to go. Buckingham Palace is sitting

:18:20. > :18:27.proudly over The Mall, which will be the start and finish of the

:18:27. > :18:35.Olympic marathon. Our leader with a few hundred metres to go. He has

:18:35. > :18:42.led for about the last seven or eight miles. Now he can see the

:18:42. > :18:46.finish line. There he is, Wilson Kipsang, the second-fastest

:18:46. > :18:53.marathon runner of all time. Will he be the fastest man ever to rant

:18:53. > :19:02.in London? It will be really close. Will he be able to run quick

:19:02. > :19:07.enough? Do not forget his name. I am sure you will see him again in

:19:07. > :19:13.London. If he is leading the Kenyan team, you know he will be in with a

:19:13. > :19:21.chance of a medal at the Olympic Games. It is just being guided into

:19:21. > :19:27.the right channel. The organisation is absolutely perfect. It has been

:19:27. > :19:32.almost a perfect run from this man. Wilson Kipsang is finding a bit

:19:32. > :19:38.extra. He is watching the clock ticked away. The course record will

:19:38. > :19:43.probably slip by before he gets to the finish line. It has been about

:19:43. > :19:49.the victory and running for glory. It is about getting himself into

:19:50. > :19:55.the Olympic team. He takes the victory in London. He has a won in

:19:55. > :20:04.Frankfurt before. It is the biggest victory in his career. He wins the

:20:04. > :20:10.London Marathon. It was hard work over the last few miles. He won at

:20:10. > :20:16.the race weighed down the road, after those hard, hard miles early

:20:16. > :20:23.on put paid to the challenge of everyone else. He was strongest on

:20:24. > :20:31.the day. The smiles for him now. 30 years of age. He said it has taken

:20:32. > :20:41.me a while to get my head around theirs. There is the world champion.

:20:41. > :20:51.He could not maintain the pace. It is the two experienced men who have

:20:51. > :20:52.

:20:52. > :21:02.won here the fog. Martin Lel has had to sprint to victory before. --

:21:02. > :21:02.

:21:02. > :21:07.won here before. His wheels have fallen off today, so to speak. Who

:21:07. > :21:17.will get second place? You have to marvel at Martin Bell and his

:21:17. > :21:18.

:21:18. > :21:25.ability to come to London time and time again. -- Martin Lal. The

:21:25. > :21:35.diminutive figure of Tsegaye Kebede has stuck does he have anything

:21:35. > :21:37.

:21:37. > :21:47.left in his legs? Can he find some pace? The crowds are cheering them

:21:47. > :21:48.

:21:48. > :21:53.on. They are neck and neck. Just a yard between them. Now it is half a

:21:53. > :22:03.yard. Tsegaye Kebede is trying to fight all the weight to the line

:22:03. > :22:05.

:22:05. > :22:11.but Martin Blank will take second place. -- Martin Lal. It is a great

:22:11. > :22:16.race from two great champions of the past. That was hard and they

:22:16. > :22:22.judged it right. They did not go with these super fast pace of some

:22:22. > :22:29.of the others. Their patience paid off. Sometimes you need to look at

:22:29. > :22:39.that sort of run. You say, marathon running sometimes needs experience

:22:39. > :22:41.

:22:41. > :22:51.and nous. Another experienced marathon runner from Morocco. They

:22:51. > :22:51.

:22:51. > :23:00.have overtaken the world champion. He has had a difficult run in. He

:23:00. > :23:06.gets ahead of his team-mate. He is struggling. Just about to cross the

:23:06. > :23:15.finish line. That will be a disappointing performance for the

:23:15. > :23:23.world champion. He will have an anxious wait. Emmanuel Mutai will

:23:24. > :23:33.also have to wait. Many will wonder at the wisdom of going so hard in

:23:33. > :23:39.the early stages. What about Feyisa Lilesa? He was third. Look at that!

:23:39. > :23:44.It does not matter who you are and how good you are, if you misjudge

:23:44. > :23:51.the marathon, it goes horribly wrong and all your hopes and

:23:51. > :23:56.aspirations disappear as the clock ticks by. I suggest the heroic

:23:56. > :24:05.effort of Lee Merrien, who has had to run on his own for so long, may

:24:05. > :24:12.well end in disappointment. It has been a really good run from him. He

:24:12. > :24:20.knows that the two minutes 12 time exactly is something that was

:24:20. > :24:25.starting to slip away. He looks behind. That is the sign of a tired

:24:25. > :24:34.athlete. I think these last few miles where he made a big effort.

:24:34. > :24:40.It seemed a slow start early on. They were slope for the first 10

:24:40. > :24:50.kilometres. Then he set off and took on the challenge. Then he had

:24:50. > :24:50.

:24:50. > :25:00.a goal and now he looks tired. It is a lonely ramp for these -- have

:25:00. > :25:16.

:25:16. > :25:26.a lonely grant for this last three- wise. The rain has not materialised.

:25:26. > :25:28.

:25:28. > :25:35.It has been a day Dom the Moroccans are fairly close together. The

:25:35. > :25:41.opportunity was there but it has not been grasped by some of these

:25:41. > :25:47.athletes. I think the pace in the early part has taken its toll on

:25:47. > :25:54.some of the outstanding athletes who our finishing. I have seen

:25:54. > :26:00.Vincent Kipruto Bering past us. Further back down the field, Lee

:26:00. > :26:06.Merrien is struggling to beat his personal best today. He has really

:26:06. > :26:14.worked at it. At the moment it looks like there will be one

:26:14. > :26:18.British athlete - Scott Overall - in the British team. I do not think

:26:18. > :26:25.that Lee Merrien has run himself into a qualification for the

:26:25. > :26:32.Olympic Games today. He has worked at it and trained at it. The second

:26:32. > :26:37.half of the race has really taken its toll on him. Everybody in

:26:37. > :26:43.Guernsey will be disappointed for him. They had hoped they would have

:26:43. > :26:53.somebody representing them in the Great British team. They would have

:26:53. > :26:54.

:26:54. > :26:58.loved to have had Lee Merrien representing them. He has had a go.

:26:58. > :27:06.Another very good athlete is struggling. He is running very

:27:06. > :27:12.slowly at the end. Everyone seems to have had a tough day. That is in

:27:12. > :27:19.stark contrast to the Mary Keitany. There it goes, took hours and 12

:27:19. > :27:24.minutes. He hoped to have crossed the line in that time. It is

:27:24. > :27:30.hurting now and it is harder. It is hurting even more because his

:27:30. > :27:40.Olympic Dreams may well be disappearing with every stride,

:27:40. > :27:41.

:27:41. > :27:47.every second the clock is ticking by. Been selection criteria --

:27:47. > :27:54.their selection criteria was fairly clear. It may well prompt some

:27:54. > :28:04.discussion as to where there his run deserves a second look. --

:28:04. > :28:20.

:28:20. > :28:28.be here to chip on be thousands of others. For Lee Merrien, he hoped

:28:28. > :28:35.there would have been a different story. In the distance, he has got

:28:35. > :28:42.100m or so to go. It has been announced he is the first British

:28:42. > :28:49.man home in the London Marathon. He is trying to find a bit extra. He

:28:49. > :28:54.will break his personal best time and that, on any day, is worth

:28:55. > :29:00.cheering. Today it is not the result he was hoping for and

:29:00. > :29:06.disappointment will run deep. It is many months and many weeks of hard

:29:06. > :29:13.work. On the day you never know how it will work out. He can take a lot

:29:13. > :29:23.of pride from being the first British man to cross the line.

:29:23. > :29:30.

:29:30. > :29:37.Those last few miles were a real a shot. I am delighted he got a

:29:37. > :29:41.personal best. He has trained hard and worked hard for it. He did not

:29:41. > :29:48.get as much support around the course in terms of pacemaking as he

:29:48. > :29:56.would have hoped that it was a really good performance by Lee

:29:56. > :30:06.Merrien. It is good to have another athlete under two hours and 40

:30:06. > :30:08.

:30:08. > :30:18.minutes. That was a strong performance as well. Two hours and

:30:18. > :30:38.

:30:38. > :30:46.A few miles back down the cause at Canary Wharf and a rather different

:30:46. > :30:54.site. In contrast to the colours and the atmosphere further back

:30:55. > :31:00.down the course, there was a good atmosphere backed down there. It is

:31:00. > :31:06.easy, isn't it? Eight glass of Bucks fizz and that viewing point

:31:06. > :31:13.on Tower Bridge. It will be about four hours before they can get

:31:13. > :31:23.down! It is still thought of athletes heading towards the

:31:23. > :31:31.

:31:31. > :31:34.know you are presenting the prizes and you are patron of the London

:31:35. > :31:40.Marathon Charitable Trust. Is this your first experience of the London

:31:40. > :31:47.Marathon? I experience the noise from my window every year. Luckily

:31:47. > :31:51.I have move now, so it is not too bad. I have tried to get out on the

:31:51. > :31:58.course and have a look around, to watch people go by, it is the

:31:58. > :32:04.laziest way of doing it! It is a fantastic occasion. It is good to

:32:04. > :32:07.be here to see it, it is great. have just watched many of the elite

:32:07. > :32:15.runners coming through. Some awesome performances. You cannot

:32:15. > :32:19.believe how fast they go. It is staggering. After 10-12 miles your

:32:19. > :32:25.body shuts down, but they come across the line and they are not

:32:25. > :32:31.sweating. It is effortless for most of the people. In terms of

:32:31. > :32:37.charities we are 150 places we have given to charities, so we have lots

:32:37. > :32:41.of people running, people who work with us, trying to drag themselves

:32:41. > :32:45.through the 26 miles. It is all for a fantastic cause and everybody

:32:45. > :32:52.gets to raise their own little bit of money. �50 million or more is

:32:52. > :32:56.going to be raised. Did they ever tried to persuade you to have a go?

:32:56. > :33:02.I have been trying to get a place for years - what do you have to

:33:02. > :33:08.do?! What is fantastic, my brother and his wife will be doing it next

:33:08. > :33:16.year, I think! He is going to have to now, isn't he? She you have said

:33:16. > :33:19.it, live on air! Talking about Prince William and Catherine, you

:33:19. > :33:24.have been involved in the Queen Elizabeth the second appealed

:33:24. > :33:29.challenge which is very much part of the London Marathon. The years,

:33:29. > :33:34.it is close to all of our hearts, especially to William and Catherine.

:33:34. > :33:39.The marathon has helped out massively, loads of money, just to

:33:39. > :33:43.try to save what is left of playing fields and sports schools around

:33:43. > :33:48.London because everybody wants to build on them nowadays, and

:33:48. > :33:53.hopefully what is being done is fantastic, so thanks to everybody

:33:53. > :33:57.running the marathon for it. I know that you have been busy with the

:33:57. > :34:03.Queen's Diamond Jubilee and also the Olympic Games. What sports are

:34:03. > :34:08.you looking forward to seeing? have got my name down for quite a

:34:08. > :34:13.few. Fingers crossed for Zara Phillips, of his leg. We have got

:34:13. > :34:17.that in the background. The 100 metres final, I was asked to take

:34:17. > :34:22.part and I avoided beating Usain Bolt, so that will not happen

:34:22. > :34:26.again! It is going to be a fantastic event. The women's

:34:26. > :34:31.volleyball on Horse Guards Parade, just to see Horse Guards Parade

:34:31. > :34:36.being turned into a beach. At the technical part of that sport as

:34:36. > :34:41.well! He is, I have got lots of army friends coming down for that!

:34:41. > :34:44.When you see something like this, the scale that it is going to be on,

:34:44. > :34:50.the number of people coming from across the world, fingers crossed

:34:50. > :34:56.for the weather, hopefully the have not had some are already, and

:34:56. > :35:06.everyone is looking forward to it. Thank you for joining us. -- had

:35:06. > :35:27.

:35:28. > :35:37.Beattie. This is a solid run from work on in future. It has been

:35:37. > :35:47.disappointing for many of the others, and he put so much into his

:35:47. > :36:00.

:36:00. > :36:04.effort to try and make the British he has struggled in the latter

:36:04. > :36:11.stages. You cannot say that it is the weather. It has been pretty

:36:11. > :36:16.much ideal conditions, a little bit of a breeze along the Embankment,

:36:16. > :36:22.but temperatures of around it well Celsius, maybe a little more in the

:36:22. > :36:32.sunshine, so it has been about judging pace today. And there are

:36:32. > :36:37.

:36:37. > :36:47.proves as much of a challenge for the elite athletes as it does for

:36:47. > :36:56.

:36:56. > :36:59.the thousands who will be finishing have hoped for something better.

:36:59. > :37:05.Many of the British distance runners of a Cross-Country

:37:05. > :37:10.background have been encouraged to have a got the marathon. There are

:37:10. > :37:17.something approaching 40 British men who have run 2.12 in the past,

:37:17. > :37:24.so it is not impossible. Unfortunately, it was not to be

:37:24. > :37:31.four and the Jones. 2.18 was the best he could manage today -- for

:37:31. > :37:37.Andy Jones. Earlier, we saw they night finish in the wheelchair

:37:37. > :37:43.marathon, and it was David Weir the go ahead of Heinz Frei and Marcel

:37:43. > :37:49.Hug. David Weir winning the six London Marathon of his career,

:37:49. > :37:56.setting himself up beautifully for the Paralympic Games. At the winner

:37:56. > :38:04.spoke to Sue Barker afterwards. Congratulations. Another thrilling

:38:04. > :38:08.finish. You are making a habit of it. Yes, it was very tough. I knew

:38:09. > :38:13.that the wind would be behind us after Tower Bridge. I knew that if

:38:13. > :38:17.I try to make a break, Marcel Hug would come with me because he is

:38:17. > :38:21.the strongest in the field. We tried for a bit, but there was too

:38:21. > :38:25.much of a headwind and when you have got a big pack like that

:38:25. > :38:32.catching you it is tough to keep that lead. I knew that of the pack

:38:32. > :38:36.caught up a could get my heart rate back down at right to the end.

:38:36. > :38:42.have to work on the tactics throughout the race. Was it slow?

:38:42. > :38:46.don't know what the time was. the pace at the beginning.

:38:46. > :38:51.first three Miles was super-fast. As soon as you went down the hill

:38:51. > :38:57.and turn left at the roundabout, it was a headwind, all the way. It was

:38:57. > :39:03.very tactical. Tanni Grey-Thompson said you have been in the best form

:39:03. > :39:08.of your life. Do you feel that? have had a good winter, I am in

:39:08. > :39:16.great shape. I have had no shoulder injuries. I am the latest I have

:39:16. > :39:21.been, the strongest I have been, so I am in good shape, I am happy.

:39:21. > :39:26.have equalled Tanni Grey-Thompson's incredible record of six of these

:39:26. > :39:32.titles. That must mean something to you. The is a great privilege to be

:39:32. > :39:41.up there with Tanni. She's a great role model. She got me back into

:39:41. > :39:44.the sport after Sydney. It is great to equal her record. A fantastic

:39:44. > :39:50.summer ahead with the Paralympics. You must feel like anything is

:39:50. > :39:57.possible. We have got a tough track season ahead, I have a lot of

:39:57. > :40:03.racing in the track, to prepare for. It is never ending. Only a few days

:40:03. > :40:11.of, and then back to training. It is tough, but everyone is going to

:40:11. > :40:16.be fast for the Paralympics, and you have to be on top of your game.

:40:16. > :40:24.Ronnie, my daughter is watching on TV. I am doing it for her. I don't

:40:24. > :40:34.know how many more I will do, but I think I just love this one here

:40:34. > :40:49.

:40:50. > :40:57.today. Congratulations. Fantastic second ahead of Marcel Hug. Krige

:40:57. > :41:01.Schabort in third. He was originally from South Africa but is

:41:01. > :41:07.now representing the United States. David Weir starts the Paralympics

:41:07. > :41:12.as the gold medal favourite. It was a British double. Shelly Woods, by

:41:12. > :41:17.comparison, almost four minutes ahead of her nearest rivals, she

:41:17. > :41:21.broke away at the halfway point at get ongoing and that lead got

:41:21. > :41:31.bigger and bigger. A fabulous result at the second career victory

:41:31. > :41:45.

:41:45. > :41:51.and Shelly Woods. The elite athletes have impressed us with

:41:51. > :41:55.their speed and prowess, and now we turn to those hoping to achieve

:41:55. > :41:59.their own personal goals. After months of training they are making

:41:59. > :42:04.their where red the capital, being sure the race there of the way. For

:42:05. > :42:08.many, the trip to the finish line will be painful and emotional. We

:42:08. > :42:14.have reporters out on the course to bring you their stories. Watching

:42:14. > :42:19.them at Tower Bridge is Olympic champion heptathlete Denise Lewis.

:42:19. > :42:24.This iconic London landmark is packed full of runners as they make

:42:24. > :42:32.their way across Tower Bridge. You can imagine the psychological boost

:42:32. > :42:42.this gives. Six miles to Canary Wharf, and Phil Jones is there for

:42:42. > :42:42.

:42:42. > :42:45.us. I have moved a little further down the road beyond the 18 mile

:42:45. > :42:53.mark where we start the business end of the race. The most promising

:42:53. > :42:58.phase of the race. The runners head west towards central London from

:42:58. > :43:04.here where Sonali is waiting to chat to them. That is right I am

:43:04. > :43:08.waiting at Big Ben, a welcome sight for the runners, 25 miles, the sign

:43:08. > :43:12.that the race is almost over. Screaming crowds will give the

:43:12. > :43:17.runners a boost for that final mile. From your they when towards

:43:17. > :43:23.Buckingham Palace, and Colin Jackson will be there waiting for

:43:23. > :43:28.their stories. I will be here at Horse Guards Parade, the venue for

:43:28. > :43:32.the beach volleyball during the Olympics. But today we are here to

:43:32. > :43:42.welcome those coming with their friends and families, the runners.

:43:42. > :43:43.

:43:43. > :43:47.We will get their stories with a. - - later. After losing his mother at

:43:48. > :43:52.an early age, Mike Chandler has become a dedicated fund raiser. As

:43:52. > :43:59.a postman he is used to travelling long roots, and he has been running

:43:59. > :44:04.from Hereford towards London, trying to raise 95,000 poems for

:44:04. > :44:11.the haven. Felicity Jackson is tackling the matter alongside her

:44:11. > :44:14.sister, Rebecca. They want to show their gratitude to the Team GB

:44:14. > :44:21.charity after their father was successfully treated for prostate

:44:21. > :44:24.cancer. In 2007, Mike Mackie went through a life-changing and life-

:44:24. > :44:29.saving operation. Suffering from cystic fibrosis, this condition got

:44:29. > :44:32.worse and he was given monster lead. It has been five years since his

:44:32. > :44:40.double lung transplant and he is determined to provide hope to

:44:40. > :44:45.others whilst raising money for the cystic fibrosis Trust. Lots of

:44:45. > :44:50.stories, so many people with many miles to go. We are just moving

:44:50. > :44:55.into that area where they are our athletes from the running clubs

:44:55. > :45:05.coming towards the finish line. One of them is running for Parkinson's

:45:05. > :45:09.

:45:09. > :45:13.UK, Kevin Shufflebottom! He has a great name for running the marathon.

:45:13. > :45:18.Lots of running clubs around the country taking part, as well as

:45:18. > :45:23.those who run for charity, who want were fun, and for the challenge.

:45:23. > :45:28.You can see some of the messages scrolling across the bottom of the

:45:28. > :45:34.screen, we will try to get through as many of those as we possibly can,

:45:34. > :45:43.and we will be chatting to as many runners as we can, on what has

:45:43. > :45:53.remained a nice day. Showers were forecast early on. But, so far, it

:45:53. > :46:14.

:46:14. > :46:22.part of the course. It is essentially four laps. It is the

:46:22. > :46:27.Embankment on to St Paul's and they head back along the Embankment to

:46:27. > :46:33.The Mall area. You do not need a ticket to watch the marathon when

:46:33. > :46:40.the Olympics are on. I am sure there will be hundreds of thousands,

:46:40. > :46:46.if not millions, watching the marathons in the Olympics when they

:46:46. > :46:53.happen. As those athletes approach and go beyond Tower Bridge, we are

:46:53. > :46:59.nearly three hours into racing today. There are spectators at

:46:59. > :47:09.every vantage point. They are only reaching the halfway stage and

:47:09. > :47:14.

:47:14. > :47:22.still have 30 miles to go. -- 13. Big Ben is standing proudly. The

:47:22. > :47:28.clock shows they have been out for just over two and a half hours. A

:47:28. > :47:35.couple of miles to go, now McAndrew is heading for a time of under

:47:35. > :47:42.three hours. She would be the first of male and female celebrities.

:47:42. > :47:47.That is proper running - a good quality. Most athletic clubs,

:47:47. > :47:53.finding someone who can run under three hours in the women's event is

:47:53. > :48:03.a rare. Hopefully she will manage to make it safely through at that

:48:03. > :48:16.

:48:16. > :48:26.support from the crowd really does help to keep people going. A couple

:48:26. > :48:36.of people are running well Guide Dogs for the Blind. -- for was

:48:36. > :48:52.

:48:52. > :48:57.stuck a few blind athletes out 10 seconds - Shelly Woods.

:48:57. > :49:04.absolutely destroy it pave first class field in the wheelchair

:49:04. > :49:14.marathon. -- destroyed a first class field. She has been presented

:49:14. > :49:18.

:49:18. > :49:23.by Prince Harry. Everybody was here and she beat them all

:49:23. > :49:31.comprehensively. David Weir! threw down the gauntlet and no one

:49:31. > :49:39.could respond. An amazing sprint finish. Surely he will add to the

:49:39. > :49:48.two of gold medals he won in Beijing. He seems very settled with

:49:48. > :49:58.his life and very happy to match the record of Dame Tanni Grey-

:49:58. > :50:10.

:50:10. > :50:15.The best performance in the men's came from Wilson Kipsang. He was

:50:15. > :50:24.just outside the course record. Over two minutes ahead of the man

:50:24. > :50:30.who knows what it is like to win here, Martin Lel. His sprint finish

:50:30. > :50:37.put him ahead of Tsegaye Kebede. Last year's winner at Emmanuel

:50:37. > :50:44.Mutai was struggling in the latter stages. It was these same story or

:50:44. > :50:54.the British athletes. A personal best from Lee Merrien. In the end,

:50:54. > :50:56.

:50:56. > :51:03.his time was well short of the time required. In the women's race, only

:51:03. > :51:13.Paula Radcliffe has run faster in the second half of the rays than

:51:13. > :51:16.

:51:16. > :51:23.Mary Keitany. -- the race. Wilson kicked the cat, the world champion,

:51:23. > :51:33.took second spot. -- Wilson Kipsang Gatt. It may be those three to

:51:33. > :51:41.represent their country at the Olympic Games. Claire Hallissey

:51:41. > :51:49.knew the target, as did everyone house. She finished in 11th place

:51:49. > :51:59.and a big personal best. A debut run from Freya Murray, just behind

:51:59. > :52:00.

:52:00. > :52:08.her. Congratulations! Deliver when it matters, you certainly did.

:52:08. > :52:14.really enjoyed it out there today. Everything seemed to click into

:52:14. > :52:19.place. You were clock-watching. Was there any stage in the race that

:52:19. > :52:24.you would beat two hours and 28 minutes? Right up until the finish

:52:24. > :52:28.line. It is always difficult with a marathon. You can never tell

:52:28. > :52:33.whether you will manage to keep the pace going. It is the fastest I

:52:33. > :52:41.have ever gone out in a marathon. I could feel that extra pace and it

:52:41. > :52:48.did hurt. It all seemed to work on the day. You knew you had to go out

:52:48. > :52:52.that farce because there was such a prize at stake. -- that fast. There

:52:52. > :53:01.was no point in running a conservative race and tried to

:53:01. > :53:07.equal what I did in Chicago. It was an all or nothing race. When you

:53:07. > :53:12.aware that Freya Murray was not too far behind? I did not want to look

:53:12. > :53:17.behind me but I knew she was not far off. It was our eyes on the

:53:17. > :53:22.line and tried to get there as quickly as I could. I think your

:53:22. > :53:29.face, as you crossed the finish line, you did everything you could.

:53:29. > :53:34.I did what I could and it is in the hands of the selectors. We will see

:53:34. > :53:40.what happens. What would it mean to you to compete at the London

:53:40. > :53:50.Olympics? It is the chance of a lifetime. You came in to do the job

:53:50. > :53:50.

:53:50. > :57:06.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:57:06. > :57:13.and you have done it. Hopefully we has seen the devastation that

:57:13. > :57:18.cancer can cause. She has raised �60,000 for the charity. She is

:57:18. > :57:25.running with a group whose parents she nursed. Carling was not

:57:25. > :57:35.expected to survive when she was born 11 weeks premature. After

:57:35. > :57:45.weeks in hospital, she was able to go home. Several years ago, Harriet

:57:45. > :57:45.

:57:45. > :57:51.Jenkins weighed over 26 tone. 2010 became a year of transformation. --

:57:51. > :58:01.stone. She is a teacher and raising money for the NSPCC. And a slimming

:58:01. > :58:02.

:58:02. > :58:11.charity as well, Smiles. The official charity raises money for

:58:11. > :58:21.prostate and breast cancer. There are about 800 people on the course.

:58:21. > :58:26.

:58:26. > :58:30.We men to meet more people with a story to tell. What made you do the

:58:30. > :58:35.London Marathon in the first place? Last summer of my uncle was

:58:35. > :58:39.diagnosed with prostate cancer. I wanted to give something back and

:58:39. > :58:44.raise awareness about it. I wanted to take up the challenge where

:58:44. > :58:54.people would realise other serious. There is no better thing to do than

:58:54. > :58:55.

:58:55. > :59:02.the marathon. - us I it was serious. I went on into nets and founder --

:59:02. > :59:09.the internet and signed up for a place. 10,000 men died of prostate

:59:09. > :59:14.cancer a year and 12,000 people die of breast cancer. There are 800

:59:14. > :59:20.runners getting together to run for that cause and tried to raise �1

:59:20. > :59:25.million for charity. Some people have been diagnosed with prostate

:59:25. > :59:34.cancer, others with breast cancer. It gives you a great amount of

:59:34. > :59:42.inspiration to think, if they are running, so can we. I have raised

:59:42. > :59:47.�8,500. I have had donations come in as high as �5,000. Every penny

:59:47. > :59:52.really counts. Those people who put that money towards me will be

:59:52. > :59:58.motivating me on the day to keep going and take every step, even

:59:58. > :00:04.when it gets tough. A big part of the day is raising money for the

:00:05. > :00:10.charities involved. How will that help? I have asked people, even if

:00:10. > :00:15.they are not going to donate, just to visit the websites to learn more

:00:15. > :00:20.about the charities. People can learn about prevention and

:00:20. > :00:25.detection and that can make a real difference. The fund-raising is

:00:25. > :00:31.great and that will help. The more people who know about prostate and

:00:31. > :00:40.breast cancer and the early signs of it, the more people we can save.

:00:41. > :00:47.Tell me about your rather special training partner? 101 years old?

:00:47. > :00:56.Yes, he will be burning the London Marathon as well. He plans to break

:00:56. > :01:03.his record. If he can do it at 101, he is so positive and so it be

:01:03. > :01:08.great person to be around, it just keeps you going. -- such a great

:01:08. > :01:18.person. Everywhere I have been going, getting people to fund

:01:18. > :01:25.

:01:25. > :01:34.raised, it has been fantastic. It lots of people running for

:01:34. > :01:36.charities all over the place. Including know-all O'Brien who are

:01:36. > :01:46.running for Concern Worldwide, an international charity fighting

:01:46. > :01:52.

:01:52. > :01:55.poverty. Also Andy Clayton, a BBC News correspondent. Vicky Brown is

:01:55. > :02:05.running for cancer research in memory of her colleague. She is

:02:05. > :02:08.

:02:08. > :02:14.from Whitley Bay. It is getting a little bit cloudy

:02:14. > :02:19.overhead which may help some of the slower runners. You do not want too

:02:19. > :02:21.much sunshine on a day like today, but as they say sun shines on the

:02:21. > :02:27.right shares and there are plenty of people out there doing a

:02:27. > :02:34.brilliant job. John and Diane from Caernarfon and all the staff at

:02:34. > :02:44.Bethnal Green fire station would like to wish them all the very best

:02:44. > :02:48.

:02:48. > :02:53.today. I want to mention a few people who are running for Help the

:02:53. > :03:01.hospices, one of them, Libby good win, is running in memory of her

:03:01. > :03:10.mother who died last year of pancreatic cancer. They are all

:03:10. > :03:15.raising money. Good luck as well to Vicky who is

:03:15. > :03:21.running for the Silver Star charity, they provide high level of care for

:03:21. > :03:27.mothers who have got major problems during their pregnancies. Good luck

:03:27. > :03:37.to them. Also to Christian Nash who is running for the Children's liver

:03:37. > :03:39.

:03:39. > :03:45.disease Foundation. Whiz-kids is one of the charities

:03:45. > :03:51.and Linda Jennings is running for them today. Pupils from Christ

:03:51. > :03:59.Church School and Virginia Water want to wish the best of luck to

:03:59. > :04:03.one of their teachers who is also getting married in the summer.

:04:03. > :04:09.Nell McAndrew just going through the picture as she turned the

:04:09. > :04:19.corner. Going brilliantly well. We just got a glimpse of her and we

:04:19. > :04:22.

:04:22. > :04:28.will try and follow her. Three hours is the benchmark. Two hours

:04:28. > :04:38.and 49 minutes so far. She has got a really good chance. Earlier on

:04:38. > :04:38.

:04:38. > :04:42.she went up Birdcage Walk and that is where we are right now. You have

:04:42. > :04:49.made a lot of people happy today seeing you here. How are you

:04:49. > :04:54.feeling? I am starting to feel it a bit now in my legs. I was only 18

:04:54. > :04:59.stone a couple of months ago, so to be here is an achievement and I am

:04:59. > :05:05.halfway now. A few are half way and you will be raising a lot of money

:05:05. > :05:09.for such a worthy challenge. A my grandad died of cancer, so I thank

:05:10. > :05:19.everyone for their support and I will bring the medal back to Essex.

:05:19. > :05:23.Good on you, keep it up. You always do as proud that these events.

:05:23. > :05:30.going for the Guinness world record for the world's fastest schoolboy.

:05:30. > :05:38.They have come out already. How are you finding it today? It is tougher

:05:38. > :05:43.going. But the crowds are massive. I missed my wife for the first time

:05:43. > :05:53.because there are so many people. Congratulations, it is a great

:05:53. > :05:54.

:05:54. > :05:58.effort. You do it like this. My goodness, I

:05:58. > :06:04.have not seen skill like this on the London Marathon before. Who are

:06:04. > :06:10.you running for? I am running for the NSPCC because all children have

:06:10. > :06:15.the right to play and be happy and this is what this symbolises. I am

:06:16. > :06:21.going for it. Going for the world record this year. I am looking to

:06:21. > :06:25.do it in five hours. Are you planning to do it the whole way?

:06:25. > :06:32.Absolutely, we can do it. I want to prove anything is possible if you

:06:32. > :06:42.put your mind to it. I am a firm believer in that. Keep up the good

:06:42. > :06:42.

:06:42. > :06:49.work. Hello to all the ladies. good effort, that, keeping the

:06:49. > :06:55.hula-hoop going. She is checking her what, Nell McAndrew. This is a

:06:55. > :07:03.very impressive run from her. We are heading to three hours. She has

:07:03. > :07:08.not got far to go. I spoke to her at the other -- the other week. She

:07:08. > :07:12.said she was determined to go out like a real athlete and run under

:07:12. > :07:17.three hours. She is well on the way to that. If she had started running

:07:17. > :07:25.when she was younger, she would have been a fantastic athlete,

:07:25. > :07:30.Steve. She would have been. Remember Tracie Morris who went to

:07:30. > :07:34.the Commonwealth Games and the world championships? Who knows, if

:07:34. > :07:42.Nell McAndrew had come to the running seen earlier, you never

:07:42. > :07:46.know a. She is running for the Cancer Research UK team. She is a

:07:46. > :07:53.start of their team and is a star in her own weight in terms of

:07:53. > :07:59.performance. She is hurting now. She has set her stall out here.

:07:59. > :08:06.That clock is ticking. She has only got about 500 yards to go. Another

:08:07. > :08:12.couple of minutes. You look at your watch every hundred yards. She is a

:08:12. > :08:19.real professional with the split times and everything. Well done,

:08:19. > :08:25.Nell, a fantastic performance. And for all the money she raises for

:08:25. > :08:30.cancer research UK, brilliant. now knows that time is going to be

:08:30. > :08:35.one she is going to crack. One-year James Cracknell really thought hard

:08:35. > :08:40.to break three hours. Unless he manages to find something really

:08:40. > :08:44.special, that three hour mark will slip by for him again. He looks as

:08:44. > :08:50.if he is struggling a little bet and he has got probably another

:08:50. > :08:55.seven or eight minutes of running. He is going to be close, but maybe

:08:55. > :09:01.outside three hours. Our first celebrity home busier, male or

:09:01. > :09:06.female. Look at theirs. She has made these loads a little bit in

:09:06. > :09:13.the second half. But she has not slowed too much and she looks

:09:13. > :09:17.fantastic as she turns the corner with 200 to go. Now McAndrew, there

:09:17. > :09:23.are many athletes who train hard up and down the country to break three

:09:23. > :09:29.hours. So she enters a very small, select group of people who have run

:09:29. > :09:35.under three hours for the marathon. A huge, big cheer and then the

:09:35. > :09:39.smile breaks out. Accepting the plaudits of everybody here end them

:09:40. > :09:45.all. She is a very popular character on the running scene and

:09:45. > :09:49.why not? Her efforts have been enormous. Now maybe the emotion is

:09:50. > :09:59.starting to break through. That is a superb performance, well done

:10:00. > :10:00.

:10:00. > :10:10.indeed. Two hours and 54 minutes. No wonder she breaks into a few

:10:10. > :10:22.

:10:22. > :10:32.tears of joy, I am sure, and of believe I am standing next to

:10:32. > :10:32.

:10:32. > :10:37.Denise Lewis. Well are you running for? The meningitis Trust. These

:10:37. > :10:47.girls have made yesterday. I am really pleased. You are looking

:10:47. > :10:48.

:10:48. > :10:54.good, at great charity, keep up the good work. Let me know your name.

:10:54. > :11:01.Dylan. A how are you finding it out there today? It is tough, harder

:11:01. > :11:06.than I expected. What kind of attention had you been getting?

:11:06. > :11:13.Good attention, good encouragement and it helps me through. Not long

:11:13. > :11:19.to go, well done, keep it going. Your family have been desperately

:11:19. > :11:25.waiting for you to come through, to get a glimpse of that beautiful

:11:25. > :11:30.smile. What is it like? It is wonderful, we have had so many

:11:30. > :11:35.wonderful supporters and no rain so far, fingers crossed for everyone.

:11:35. > :11:42.A great atmosphere, everyone supporting everyone out there. A

:11:42. > :11:47.wonderful day. Sorry, I am a bit out of breath. I can see how much

:11:47. > :11:53.it means to you to see your family will stop they have come all the

:11:53. > :12:00.way from Spain. I know, I could not be happier. I am so proud of them.

:12:00. > :12:07.They are starting to get a little cold. She looks amazing. I am so

:12:07. > :12:13.proud of his girl, she is amazing, I love her to bits. This is my son.

:12:13. > :12:23.It is what today is all about. Everyone is very proud of you, keep

:12:23. > :12:26.

:12:26. > :12:30.raising loads of money. Thank you so much. A cycling and rowing team

:12:30. > :12:34.from Scotland have dedicated their cause to the Prince and Princess of

:12:34. > :12:38.Wales Hospice and have already covered over 500 miles Eden before

:12:38. > :12:43.today. They are supported by friends and family who have been

:12:43. > :12:48.riding with them throughout their journey. After becoming a teacher

:12:48. > :12:54.and moving into their first flat, Tarin Nicol unexpectedly lost her

:12:54. > :12:59.life aged only 25 after contracting septicaemia. Her sister Sarah is

:12:59. > :13:04.running her first marathon to honour her raising money for the

:13:04. > :13:09.meningitis Research Foundation. Before turning one, Sam Baird and

:13:09. > :13:14.underwent two open-heart surgery is. Sam has been able to live a healthy

:13:14. > :13:24.and energetic childhood. His mother is running to show her appreciation

:13:24. > :13:29.

:13:29. > :13:35.for the British Heart Foundation. The clock is ticking. As James

:13:35. > :13:40.Cracknell turns the corner he knows he has got 90 seconds, 90 seconds,

:13:41. > :13:46.to cover 180 metres and he is just going in front of us and he might

:13:46. > :13:51.not be moving as well as he has done on some other occasions,

:13:51. > :13:58.particularly when he is sitting in a boat, but he is going to head for

:13:58. > :14:02.below three hours. The pacemaker has stuck to him like glue. He is

:14:02. > :14:07.fighting hard. This will be a really good performance from James

:14:07. > :14:13.Cracknell. He has had many challenges since he gave up life in

:14:13. > :14:18.a rowing boat, but this is one of the hardest he says. It is under

:14:18. > :14:23.three hours. He has definitely broken that. Well done, James

:14:23. > :14:33.Cracknell. Lots of others around him sprinting for the line as best

:14:33. > :14:37.

:14:37. > :14:43.as they can. We will get his official time a little bit later.

:14:43. > :14:53.We think 2.5 9.06. Well done, James. He is a great inspiration to lots

:14:53. > :15:26.

:15:26. > :15:30.three hours and one or two hoping hour landmark. The Mall will fill

:15:30. > :15:34.and fill as more finishers come through. About 45 minutes or so ago,

:15:35. > :15:40.one man who was trying his best to run a personal best, he managed to

:15:40. > :15:45.do that but not enough to put himself forwards for Olympic

:15:45. > :15:50.selection, that was Lee Merrien. He selection, that was Lee Merrien. He

:15:50. > :15:56.spoke to Sue afterwards. Lee, commiserations even though it was a

:15:56. > :16:01.gallant effort? Inshould be gutted. But on this occasion I knew it had

:16:01. > :16:06.to be a sizeable personal best to make me anything other than

:16:06. > :16:10.satisfied with my performance. I'm very disappointed. What can you do?

:16:10. > :16:15.It didn't work out that well. What happened initially with the

:16:15. > :16:20.Pacemakers? They started off all right. Maybe just a fraction quick.

:16:20. > :16:26.We they were supposed to do a five- minute mile. They were in front of

:16:26. > :16:32.that. We thought it would settle in. But after three or four miles we

:16:33. > :16:38.were 100 yards behind them. We had a group of guys working. But from

:16:38. > :16:42.six or seven miles I was at the front of the group forcing the pace.

:16:42. > :16:47.Not many others fancied taking it on. I did a lot of work. From

:16:47. > :16:51.halfway, there was a Turkish guy who came past me, finished one

:16:51. > :16:56.place in front of me in the end, but I was on my own for the rest of

:16:56. > :17:02.the race. From 20 miles it was hard work. I was into a stiff head wind.

:17:02. > :17:08.I knew was there or thereabouts but had to pick it up. To do that into

:17:08. > :17:13.the wind on your own it was tough. You keep mentioning, on your own. I

:17:13. > :17:19.don't think people realise how hard it is to run on your own? It is

:17:19. > :17:24.really good to follow someone. That's what the pacers are there

:17:24. > :17:30.for. I'm not having a go at them but it just makes it tough. You

:17:30. > :17:33.just want to race. In some ways., the race didn't work out for you.

:17:33. > :17:38.You have to look back and say, personal best. When you sit down

:17:38. > :17:43.and see what you ran, you'll be pleased? Maybe when the dust

:17:43. > :17:48.settles I'll be a little more satisfied or pleased. I was trying

:17:49. > :17:53.to take a bit of the atmosphere in at the end to soak up the crowd. It

:17:53. > :18:00.is Olympic year. The crowd out there was, after my third London

:18:00. > :18:06.Marathon, the crowd was fantastic, it was really setting the Olympic

:18:06. > :18:14.atmosphere alight now. I was just trying to take that in. Might be

:18:14. > :18:20.the nearest thing I'll get to it unfortunately now. But you were the

:18:20. > :18:27.first Briton home. Thank you..It Was a sterling effort for the man

:18:27. > :18:32.from Guernsey. But not quite enough, we don't think, to get himself

:18:32. > :18:38.selected for Team GB. The flag flying. There have been all sorts

:18:38. > :18:41.of great performances so far. 2:54 for Nell McAndrew. She's with Sue

:18:41. > :18:45.now. We're used to Nell being the first

:18:45. > :18:51.celebrity home. But, wow, this is a personal best by some time. You ran

:18:51. > :18:59.the marathon in two hours 54 minutes. What was your personal

:18:59. > :19:05.best before that? 3:08. 2:59:59 was the goal. I kept gooingling how

:19:05. > :19:10.hard it is to get that. I was gutted. The last two miles I was

:19:10. > :19:15.desperate for the loo but was not stopping. Then I just burst into

:19:15. > :19:20.tears as I crossed over. I have a special request, Sue, my dad was 60

:19:20. > :19:27.on Friday. He's lucky to be a survivor of cancer. If you could

:19:27. > :19:33.wish him a happy birthday he might crack a smile. He us a usually

:19:33. > :19:37.really grumpy! Ted, happy birthday from both of us. She's done really

:19:37. > :19:41.well. You should be really proud of her. You said it was the most he

:19:41. > :19:47.emotional experience. I've had to stop myself crying the whole week.

:19:47. > :19:50.My friend text me to say they were proud, it made me cry. Everybody's

:19:50. > :19:58.so nice to you. When I went to school on Friday, all the mums were

:19:58. > :20:04.giving me hugs. One of the mums was on my -- mile 19 handing out water.

:20:04. > :20:09.Brenda, it is just amazing how everything and everyone comes

:20:09. > :20:13.together. It blows you away. I've been running for Cancer Research UK

:20:13. > :20:23.now for a long time. I've always been able to raise thousands of

:20:23. > :20:25.

:20:25. > :20:30.pounds. I'm desperate for anybody to sponsor me. Please sponsor me,

:20:30. > :20:34.knellMcAndrew dot TV. We need Simon Cowell or someone like that. It

:20:34. > :20:39.will help us help Cancer Research fight against cancer. We're

:20:39. > :20:45.desperate for some support. It is hard getting sponsors now. You've

:20:45. > :20:52.done well raising the money. What now? I don't know. It's been just

:20:52. > :20:56.me and I had my marathon running book. It has been lots of self-

:20:56. > :21:04.motivation. Inspiration from Richard. One the top marathon

:21:04. > :21:14.runners. Congratulations. Go off and enjoy that. I could cry! Thanks,

:21:14. > :21:22.

:21:22. > :21:27.really hard to explain what effort she's put in to do that time. Nell,

:21:27. > :21:31.she's 28, she might not like me saying that. Anyway, fantastic

:21:31. > :21:35.performance from her today. Of course, she was telling her story.

:21:35. > :21:39.There are just thousands and thousands of similar reasons why

:21:39. > :21:45.people come to take part and indeed, people come to watch. I'm not sure

:21:45. > :21:52.that's the best vantage point I've ever seen for that. Do they think

:21:52. > :21:56.it's the boat race, or what?! Anyway way, they've got a good view

:21:56. > :22:03.of Tower Bridge. On Tower Bridge, she has been all morning, it's

:22:03. > :22:07.Denise Lewis. John, why are you running here today? This time 12

:22:07. > :22:13.years ago I was on the heart transplant waiting list. I wasn't

:22:13. > :22:20.expected to live until I was 40. Today, isle -- on Tuesday, I'll

:22:20. > :22:26.celebrate my 50th birthday. Unbelievable. It is. I'm Cayley. My

:22:26. > :22:31.sister was waiting for a heart and lung transplant. She died 25 years

:22:31. > :22:36.ago. She had luep us. This guy's a legend. He is. Raising great

:22:36. > :22:44.awareness for your charity. Very lucky to meet my bonor family. I'm

:22:44. > :22:49.running in memory of my donor, Stephen Tibbey. Thanks to him, me

:22:49. > :22:54.and four others are alive today. Register and give organs. Save

:22:54. > :23:03.lives. Amazing story. We wish you all the best. Sna thanks for your

:23:03. > :23:08.time. I'm Ken. Dare I ask your age?

:23:08. > :23:13.How many marathons have you done? This is my 12th. How are you

:23:13. > :23:19.finding the conditions? Bit warm. Expected it to be raining. Will you

:23:19. > :23:27.make it to the finish? No problem. Are you raising money for anyone in

:23:27. > :23:30.particular today? No, not today. Keep it going. Thanks a lot.

:23:30. > :23:40.Guys, you've reached the halfway stage. It is not easy out there.

:23:40. > :23:47.Tell us who you're running for? Lily Foundation. Dave's daughter

:23:47. > :23:56.died and we look forward to seeing you on Tower Bridge every year.

:23:57. > :24:01.Every year it gives me this. That's �20. Go on, another �20. We'll get

:24:01. > :24:07.there. We've 28 runners running for us this year. Please sponsor us. We

:24:07. > :24:12.need the money for research. Please keep the money coming in for us.

:24:12. > :24:18.We'll get round. Not in Olympic time. This year I based my pace on

:24:18. > :24:23.Steve Cram. I watched him in a bar. He was asked to get the dripgs. I'm

:24:24. > :24:31.putting may pace on that, slow, slow, dead slow, stop clam I hope

:24:31. > :24:35.you're listening, Steve! True! may be taking it slow. This man

:24:35. > :24:39.isn't. James Cracknell. You broke three hours. It looked a hard slog,

:24:39. > :24:44.those last few miles? It was pretty hard. It is the first time I've

:24:44. > :24:48.gone under three since I had an accident in the States. I haven't

:24:48. > :24:52.run for a month which may have helped me, especially pacing the

:24:52. > :24:57.first half. The support of the crowds in the second is just an

:24:57. > :25:01.idea of what it will be like for the guys and girls competing in

:25:01. > :25:07.London. Phenomenal. You were determined not to let that clock go

:25:07. > :25:11.to three hours. Once it has taken three hours, no point in doing

:25:11. > :25:17.three hours and one minute. If you're going to go under three

:25:17. > :25:21.hours, you do it in 2:59:59. finished just behind Nell McAndrew.

:25:21. > :25:26.She lives not far from you? lives near us in West London. She

:25:26. > :25:31.has one of those jogging prams. Her kids have something like a Formula

:25:31. > :25:38.One driver. It is the fastest pram in London. She's a phenomenal

:25:38. > :25:41.athlete. Hopefully, what the Olympics will bring. If she'd been

:25:41. > :25:46.talent-spotted when she was younger, she may have been competinging here

:25:46. > :25:50.in July. She's that talented. has been a fabulous atmosphere. You

:25:50. > :25:56.get the feeling with the Olympics not far away, it will be a magical

:25:56. > :26:03.summer? It is not like Lunning a -- running a normal run. I don't have

:26:03. > :26:10.this many people clapping me when I go running. People kept going, "go

:26:10. > :26:16.on, Redgrave" I'm hoping I may be able to slip on July 27th just to

:26:16. > :26:21.light the flame. People think I'm Redgrave. Give him food poisoning

:26:21. > :26:25.and off I go! I know you will' be heavily involved in the Olympics.

:26:25. > :26:29.Congratulations today. Great time. You've raised a heck of a lot of

:26:29. > :26:39.money again. Thank you to everyone who helped me on the way round and

:26:39. > :26:39.

:26:39. > :29:44.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:29:44. > :29:52.everyone else who's finished. It is One.00. There's Big Ben. That

:29:52. > :30:01.signals the fact they've been out there for three hours and 15 mins.

:30:01. > :30:06.Everybody in front of us here in The Mall still looking strong. It

:30:06. > :30:12.has been a beautiful day here in London.

:30:12. > :30:17.Just a single chime. As I said, the clouds have pretty much continued

:30:17. > :30:22.to move overhead, nice and sunny. Everybody, so far anyway, we're

:30:22. > :30:32.watching people looking in fine fettle finishing. We hope that

:30:32. > :30:35.

:30:35. > :30:40.continues right through the We have been focusing on the

:30:41. > :30:45.thousands of runners who started. But this event is also about

:30:45. > :30:50.encouraging youngsters to take to the streets. Sonali Shah has been

:30:50. > :30:55.following this year's mini marathons. Welcome to old

:30:55. > :30:59.Billingsgate, the heart of the City of London and the start of the 2012

:30:59. > :31:06.many London Marathon. The course is the final three miles off the main

:31:06. > :31:12.marathon route. There are more than 2011-17 year-olds already taking

:31:12. > :31:15.part all over the country in eight races today. Over the years, the

:31:15. > :31:24.Mini Marathon has uncovered a number of stars of British distance

:31:24. > :31:28.running. You have got Mo Farah who was aware three years in a row. We

:31:28. > :31:34.could have the future Mo Farah amongst the slut. Whose first time

:31:34. > :31:41.is it? It is my first time. Looking forward to its and it is all about

:31:41. > :31:50.having a good time. How many times have you done theirs? 6. Who is

:31:50. > :31:57.excited about Prince Harry? Maeve. How old are you? I am 11.

:31:57. > :32:03.excited are you? Really excited, but as little nervous. There is no

:32:03. > :32:07.reason to be nervous. Oliver, how are you feeling? I am very nervous,

:32:07. > :32:12.it is my first time, but I have been waiting for this for a long

:32:12. > :32:19.time. We are running for our friend who died last year and she would

:32:19. > :32:22.have been in that team. We are raising money for the Royal Free

:32:22. > :32:27.Hospital charity ball stuck keys, if you are watching, I love you and

:32:27. > :32:35.I am going to try very hard. Do you think you will run the main race

:32:35. > :32:43.next year? Yes, I am better over long distances. Have you done this

:32:44. > :32:49.before? This is my third time. confident are you feeling? I am

:32:49. > :32:55.120% confident I am going to win this. I will not win, but I will

:32:55. > :33:02.have a good time. There are over 2000 young children from all over

:33:02. > :33:06.the country, from the boroughs of London and from the regions as well,

:33:06. > :33:16.including England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, Northern

:33:16. > :33:18.

:33:18. > :33:25.Billingsgate in the different age group categories. The wheelchairs

:33:26. > :33:32.as well. David Weir and Shirley Wood, the won the Senior races

:33:32. > :33:39.today, ran Indies. It is the birthplace of some of the stars of

:33:40. > :33:49.the future. It has become one of the major features of the London

:33:50. > :33:51.

:33:52. > :34:00.marathon every year, so now the many London Marathon, as we see the

:34:00. > :34:06.winner. He has the same coach as David Weir. That is Jenny archer.

:34:06. > :34:14.It is a very close finish in the under 17 boys' race. It is a good

:34:14. > :34:19.time for the three-mile course. Jessica jarred winning once again.

:34:19. > :34:29.She is one of Great Britain's best under 17 young athletes at the

:34:29. > :34:29.

:34:29. > :35:12.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 56 seconds

:35:12. > :35:19.moment. Some tremendous athletes on three home in that event. His Royal

:35:19. > :35:25.Highness, Prince Harry, the Prince of Wales, presenting trophies to

:35:25. > :35:31.all the winners. Smiles all round in the maul after three miles of

:35:31. > :35:37.hard racing. Congratulations, the first win. Let's see the trophy

:35:37. > :35:43.will stop this is nice. The war paint obviously worked. It was a

:35:43. > :35:48.bet. It was a good day, a good race and now I am going to enjoy the

:35:48. > :35:52.rest of it. I bet you have set a superstition now and you will

:35:52. > :35:59.always wear it when you are competing. I am not sure, but who

:35:59. > :36:05.knows. How was it being given your trophy by royalty? It was a nice

:36:05. > :36:15.touch to it. I enjoyed meeting him and everything. Congratulations,

:36:15. > :36:17.

:36:17. > :36:21.That is your 4th win. I felt really good today. At the start you were

:36:21. > :36:26.so nervous and you were trying to hide from the cameras. I really

:36:26. > :36:31.wanted to do well because it is my last year. Will you do the main

:36:31. > :36:37.raise one year? Maybe when I'm older. It is such a good thing to

:36:37. > :36:42.be part of a. You are an 800 metre runner and I hear you are going for

:36:42. > :36:47.an Olympic trials. My first aim is the world juniors and maybe make

:36:47. > :36:57.the Olympic trials to see what happens. Congratulations and enjoy

:36:57. > :37:05.

:37:05. > :37:13.athletes like that who are at the top of their game, who knows who

:37:13. > :37:19.could be the next Mo Farah? When Stephanie was a junior, she won a

:37:19. > :37:24.world record at 1500 metres. She is recovering from injury and going

:37:24. > :37:30.quite well in training. It is back to the club runners now, the fun

:37:30. > :37:36.runners. They will be out on the course for three, four or even five

:37:36. > :37:40.hours yet. We are three hours, 22 minutes into racing will stop you

:37:40. > :37:48.can tell by looking at the shirts that the majority of these athletes

:37:48. > :37:53.are running for somebody else. John Coleman is running for Starlight.

:37:53. > :38:03.It helps seriously terminally ill children all over London and the UK.

:38:03. > :38:09.

:38:09. > :38:16.Good luck to that team. At the beginning we saw people running on

:38:16. > :38:26.behalf of Sports Aid. We wish everybody from Sports Aid the very

:38:26. > :38:36.

:38:36. > :38:46.best of luck. The crowds at the finish are roaring on the runners

:38:46. > :38:49.

:38:49. > :38:57.as they come through. The chief executive of the London Marathon,

:38:57. > :39:02.he is a little bit nervous out there today, a bit more than usual.

:39:02. > :39:11.His wife, Sharon, has gone through the halfway point in one hour and

:39:11. > :39:14.56 minutes. He is heading for four hours. Pauline Dickson from

:39:15. > :39:18.Newcastle University and the reason I am mentioning her is because I

:39:18. > :39:28.came down on the train on Friday and they gave me a couple of jelly

:39:28. > :39:34.babies. It is easy to buy you. If you are running a marathon, here is

:39:34. > :39:38.a little tip, jelly babies are really good. Stick them in your

:39:38. > :39:48.pocket somewhere. When you are struggling they have saved many

:39:48. > :40:07.

:40:07. > :40:15.last mile, down in Birdcage Walk. Many of their compatriots our way

:40:15. > :40:19.back out there on the course, let's find out how they are getting on.

:40:19. > :40:26.In a few months' time we will be welcoming a global I can and a

:40:26. > :40:32.global sports star, but we have got you here in London today. Who are

:40:32. > :40:36.you running for her? Children for cancer. I want to give them the

:40:36. > :40:43.chance to have a good future. I thank everyone for their amazing

:40:43. > :40:48.support. I am cheering on Usain Bolt at the Olympics. What is the

:40:48. > :40:52.atmosphere like? Brilliant, it keeps bringing me back every year.

:40:52. > :41:02.Every year I say I'm not going to do it, but I keep coming back, it

:41:02. > :41:03.

:41:03. > :41:10.is amazing. You are amazing. How are you? You look fabulous. We are

:41:10. > :41:17.doing pretty well. It is OK, it is good son. What is your motivation?

:41:17. > :41:24.We are raising money for a charity that helps developing areas. I hope

:41:24. > :41:29.to raise �65,000 for an X-ray scanner for Afghanistan in the

:41:29. > :41:38.mountains. It is hard work, but people are being very generous.

:41:38. > :41:44.is a worthy cause. We are also down for a world record. What is it?

:41:44. > :41:54.fastest of fancy dress video-game. I do not want to get in the way of

:41:54. > :41:56.

:41:56. > :42:06.this world record, best of luck. Congratulations on their efforts so

:42:06. > :42:14.far. Who are you running for a? am running for St Giles Hospice. I

:42:14. > :42:21.want to say a big thank you for everybody who has helped me. Abate

:42:21. > :42:26.thank you to my wife and everybody else who knows me. The guys at work,