A Million Reasons to Run London Marathon


A Million Reasons to Run

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MUSIC: The Trap by Ron Goodwin

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We've seen, born in London today, what is surely destined

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to become one of the greatest events in British sport.

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Tufa of Ethiopia heading for victory!

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It's one of the greatest pieces of running we've ever seen.

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Shoulders burning, fingertips pushing!

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The London Marathon belongs to Eliud Kipchoge!

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The hand of friendship after 26 miles.

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A sight to behold every single year.

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Hello and welcome to the start of this weekend's coverage

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of the Virgin Money London Marathon.

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Behind me there is the unmistakable skyline of the City of London.

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So many great global sporting events have been held here in recent years,

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and once again, tomorrow, thousands of athletes will take to the streets

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running 26.2 miles past those iconic landmarks.

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It promises to be another stirring day.

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Well, tomorrow is the 36th running of this great race.

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And, at some point in the afternoon,

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the millionth finisher will cross the line.

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It could be you, your mum, your dad,

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your cousin or a colleague from work. It could be anyone.

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Over the next half an hour or so,

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we'll be looking at some of the incredible inspirational characters

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who are going to be lining up - all for their very own reasons.

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Whoever you are, though, whether you're intending to win the race,

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or run it in under four hours, or maybe even jog round in eight -

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you've all got to start here.

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This is where you pick up your race number, you register,

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and you might just pick up a few last-minute tips.

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Hello, you all right?

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Whilst they're here,

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runners can get information on all kinds of things.

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Preparation, hydration, even psychology.

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And it's been very busy here all day,

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because running a marathon is one of the great physical challenges.

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So, how about 401 marathons in 401 days?

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No! Who'd do that?!

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Ben Smith of Bristol, that's who.

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He's embarked on the challenge of all challenges

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for his very own personal reasons.

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But, along the way, he's been inspiring many others.

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The challenge, I suppose, is quite simple.

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I'm running 401 marathons in 401 consecutive days,

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and I'm doing it to raise £250,000

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for two anti-bullying charities.

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I went away to school at the age of ten.

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I'd come from quite a close-knit family,

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and I went into an environment that was quite cold,

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I became quite shy and quite reclusive

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and I became quite a prone target for bullying.

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The bullying was very mental,

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it was quite physical, as well - I was beaten up.

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And that turned towards an attack on my sexuality.

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And I...

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I didn't know that I was gay at that time,

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but when I did figure it out, I was scared.

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The bullying got so bad while I was at school

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that, at the age of 18, I tried to take my own life.

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And it wasn't a cry for help.

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I just genuinely didn't want to be here.

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When I was 29,

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I suffered from a transient ischaemic attack - an incompleted stroke.

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I was a bit overweight, I wasn't very happy, I was depressed,

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and I was in this state thinking, "This can't be my life."

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And then, it was a mate of mine

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that actually dragged me along to my local running club.

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And I fell in love with it.

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This project started to grow about two years ago.

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I thought, "Let's raise some money for two anti-bullying charities."

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It just seemed like two perfect things to put together

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to make what's happening now.

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Hello, Ben. 401 marathons in 401 days? Good luck to you.

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Good luck for London, Ben, and the next 164 marathons!

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So, after London, I've done 237 back-to-back marathons,

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which has taken me all over the UK.

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Total miles for the 401 Challenge is 10,506.4,

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which is the equivalent distance between London and Sydney.

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The first five weeks for me were complete hell.

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My left knee swelled up to twice the size,

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I had severe tendinitis in my left shin,

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I lost the feeling in my left foot.

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I had a stress fracture in my big toe on my left foot.

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Everything that could go wrong went wrong!

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We love you.

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It has been epic. I've met some amazing people.

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I've had people, complete strangers,

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offer me a bed for the night in their house, or a meal!

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I've ran with over 4,300 people

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over the past 237 days.

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That's insane!

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Day 192 and I'm about to cross the Scottish border.

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-BAGPIPER PLAYS

-And look!

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They've brought a piper!

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And then, I've got all the storms I've been through!

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They've been pretty memorable!

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So, I've found the flooding.

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I'll never forget memories like those.

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# Running, running, running, running... #

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I engage quite a lot with the people that I run with,

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so I'm always chatting. You can't shut me up half the time.

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I think they just can't wait to get away from me at the end!

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Oh, you've done it!

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Food!

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Where did you get chips from?

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It is literally get my hands on whatever I can eat.

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So, I roughly go with about 6,500 calories a day.

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I'll only have 6,000 calories to eat after this.

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And we've done over 50 school visits now.

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-Hello!

-APPLAUSE

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It's me again - Ben.

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-Are you Ben, as well?

-Yeah.

-Oh, wicked!

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They're the best thing that I look forward to.

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Do we think bullying is good, or do we think bullying is bad?

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ALL: Bad!

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It really fills me with faith

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that our kids are now being brought up in a way

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which gives them the opportunity to be who they want to be.

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Do my legs hurt? Yeah, every day.

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'Running gave me back my confidence'

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and it gave me back my self-esteem

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and it helped me deal with a lot of the stuff

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that had happened to me in the past.

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And without it, you know, I wouldn't be here.

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And I'm grateful for that.

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Well, an incredible story, and we wish Ben the very best of luck.

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It's still a long way to go for him,

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and who knows what time he'll cross the finish line.

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But time is important for the elite runners,

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and none more so than two of Britain's best marathon runners,

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Sonia Samuels and Scott Overall.

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And the reason time is important on Sunday is because this race,

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effectively, could seal the deal for you in terms of your ticket to Rio.

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So, explain to us what you have to do, Scott.

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So, the qualifying for British Athletics to go to Rio is

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you have to finish in the top two British athletes at London

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and run the qualifying time of 2.14 for the men.

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So, I've run the qualifying time already, so...

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I say "just", I just have to be in the top two on Sunday

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and that will guarantee my ticket to Rio.

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And a similar scenario to you - a different time, of course.

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But, Sonia, the time's in the bag?

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Sunday's just a straightforward race

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between you and the best of British women.

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It's good to have the time in the bag,

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but, like Scott says, you have to be top two.

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So, it's going to be down to the race on the day

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against the other girls

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who are potentially going for those top two spots.

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This whole place here is incredible, isn't it,

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in the build-up to the marathon? People are getting excited,

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people who are going to cross the line in six hours.

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They're over there, getting their supplements and feeling excited.

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You guys, it's a very different mind-set, I imagine,

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when you're in those final hours preparing.

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How are you feeling right now?

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I think it's a bit of a mixed emotion.

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You're excited, but you're also very nervous.

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You're just trying to... It's a mental game, more than anything,

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these last few days before the race.

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And I think you just have to find something

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that will take your mind off it,

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watch a movie, read a book, whatever...

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Just try and not focus so much on the race.

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Conditions will determine the kind of race it is.

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-It's going to be a bit chilly, Scott.

-You try not to,

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but you keep an eye on the weather

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throughout the whole week leading into it. And, yeah, I looked

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and it was supposed to be two degrees on the start.

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Very best of luck to both of you and to all the British athletes.

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I look forward to interviewing you when you cross the finish line

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looking as sparkly and relaxed as you are right now.

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And, of course, these two here, Scott and Sonia,

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are just part of really strong fields

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in both the elite men's and women's race -

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one of the strongest ever assembled at any marathon.

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Here's Phil Jones with a look at the runners and riders.

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Eliud Kipchoge is the sixth-fastest marathon man of all time.

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His record since 2013 -

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six marathon starts, five wins, one second place.

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He defends his London crown.

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Wilson Kipsang was defeated in a sprint finish last year.

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Twice a London Marathon champion and the course record holder,

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he's back to resume the Kenyan duel,

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and aims to be just the fourth man in history

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to win a hat-trick of titles here.

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Another Kenyan, Dennis Kimetto, is the world-record holder,

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the first man to go sub two hours three minutes for a marathon.

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But he hasn't won a race since that staggering record

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won him Berlin 17 months ago.

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He was third here last year.

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Ethiopia's Tigist Tufa won the Women's London Marathon title

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last year, ending a run of four consecutive Kenyan wins.

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She's back to defend her crown.

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Mary Keitany lost out to Tufa last year,

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but she's twice won the title

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and is the second-fastest woman of all time.

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The reigning two-time New York Marathon champion

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leads the Kenyan challenge.

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Twice a long-distance world champion,

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Florence Kiplagat's London best was a runners-up spot two years ago.

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Kenya's world-record holder for the half-marathon

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returns to try to top that.

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Well, there should be some fantastic races tomorrow,

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with elite athletes going for times or victory.

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But for 35,000 other runners,

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the reasons for being there are very different.

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For some, it's because their own lives have changed.

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And for many, it's because they want to change the lives of others.

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When he was just five,

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Stuart Eggleshaw lost his mother to pancreatic cancer.

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The 44-year-old from Mansfield is running for the charity Smiles

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and Cancer Research UK,

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after beating his own health battles.

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Following a car crash in 2012,

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he lost a staggering 22st and 9lbs

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through the Body Magic programme

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that promotes healthy eating and exercise.

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He's making his marathon debut.

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Barnsley's Becky Rend will have her cousin in mind

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when she covers the marathon course

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in aid of the Midlands Air Ambulance charity.

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The cousin in question is Leah Washington,

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who had a left leg amputated after a headline-making crash

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on a roller-coaster at Alton Towers last year.

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25-year-old legal assistant Becky

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knows that without the work of Air Ambulance that June day,

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Leah might not be alive.

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Heather Duff was 12 when she ran the mini London Marathon in 1999

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and promised herself she'd return one day

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to complete the full adult course.

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Two years ago, the 29-year-old from West Lothian

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was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer.

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So rare, in fact, it was only the 19th reported case.

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Now in remission, Heather will fulfil her marathon vow

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while raising money for Cancer Research UK.

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Just a handful of some of the incredible and inspirational stories

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of the many thousands of people

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who will be pounding the streets on Sunday.

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And you may well recognise quite a few of those faces, as well.

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And one of them here, James Cracknell,

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has been a familiar sight on the streets of London

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over the last few years.

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How many are you up to now, then, James?

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This will be my fifth - if I make it all the way to the finish.

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You won't just make it, you'll do it in an impressive time, as well.

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-You always say...

-Talk's cheap at this stage.

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You ask anyone around here now, they'll have a good idea.

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-But then they all change on the day.

-Sum it up for us.

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-What's so special about this marathon?

-It's not like running.

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For the first half, it's unlike running

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because there are loads of people running with you

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and loads of people cheering on all the runners, which doesn't...

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So you don't notice the first 13 miles?

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You get through a fair bit for free and then it does start to come back.

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Actually, Tower Bridge is probably the best and worst place,

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because you cross and it's halfway,

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but you've got to turn right and run round Canary Wharf.

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And when I get there, the elite runners are already running back.

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And you're thinking, "Oh...!"

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And then you've got to go the other way, so, you know...

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Well, James, you're not the only Olympian in town,

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because Dame Kelly Holmes, double gold-medal winner, of course,

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from the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 800 and 1,500 metres,

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has turned her hand to the just over 42,000-metre race

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for the first time ever.

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She's not saying just yet

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how quickly she thinks she's going to go,

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but she has been getting a few tips from Paula Radcliffe.

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So this is a nice place to come and train and put in some miles.

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Yeah, it is nice, actually.

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It's only sort of part of a route that I normally do.

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But it's nice that I've got off the tarmac,

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because that's what I find hard.

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Good. And that's what I think you're going to find

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will be your hardest thing.

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It's not going to be the fitness to run the marathon.

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It'll be your muscles just used to the pounding of that distance.

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It makes my legs ache thinking about it, Paula!

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-Shall we see how your legs have recovered?

-Let's go!

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I'm just not a long-distance runner. I literally know that.

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Because even when I was training, my longest run would probably be,

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like, an hour on a Sunday or something or a recovery run.

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-But just literally...

-But it was a quick hour.

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-No, only when I was with you! Only if I actually go out with you!

-No.

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You just, like, sprint from the start!

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Because I'm up on my toes so much and the way that...

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You know, I was speaking to one of the physios and the doctor

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and he actually looked at my hips

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and he says the way my hips are actually twisted

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allowed me to do what I did as a middle-distance runner.

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You know, the power and that.

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And now he says, "Now you're trying to do longer stuff,

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"it's changing you biomechanically.

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"So you're sitting back more

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"and it's actually now putting so much pressure on your hips."

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It's not for the willingness to do it, knowing I have to do it.

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But then, you know, when you're in pain for five days after,

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you're just like, "Oh, my gosh...!"

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But now I've opened my mouth, I'm doing it.

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And you've got a big motivation to keep you through it

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with kind of the motivation of that target, which is a huge target.

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£250,000 for five charities.

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Yeah, it's a driver.

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You know, I think when you've got something as a driver,

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that's what's keeping me going, that's why I have to do it now.

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I've done charity for years and I feel passionate about that.

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I've always given back and I always will,

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but I think, if I can just do one massive, massive push, let's do it.

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So I decided I was going to do London, Paula.

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Best of luck to Kelly. Although I'm sure she has got a time in mind.

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But as she says, it's raising £250,000 for charity

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that's the important goal.

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And it's pounds of a different kind

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that inspires other people to run.

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Maybe they want to get fit, lose a little bit of weight.

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And if you've been inspired today thinking,

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"I fancy a bit of that marathon running,"

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check out the BBC Sport website.

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Go to the Get Inspired pages,

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where you can find out all kinds of details about running clubs

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and other sporting activities in your area.

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You're never too old or too young or, in some cases, too silly

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to start marathon running.

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Check out these athletes here,

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who have got some world records of their own that they're after.

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Among the potential world-record breakers are Ian Bates

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as a stunted T-rex,

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bidding to become the fastest 3-D dinosaur-dressed runner

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to complete the marathon.

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Worthy of a RAPTOR-ous reception!

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This gingerbread man needs to run as fast as he can to take the biscuits.

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Richard Kell is the name.

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The quickest marathon in a four-man costume -

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that's the aim of this fire crew,

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celebrating the 150th anniversary of the London Fire Brigade.

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Alarm-free, we hope.

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Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

0:16:440:16:46

Lisa Wilkinson is the feistiest of them all,

0:16:460:16:49

running her 25th marathon with a Snow White record in mind.

0:16:490:16:52

It's the appliance of strength and stamina

0:16:520:16:55

for marathon-mad Philip Box and his tumble dryer.

0:16:550:16:58

And while he'll be putting his back into it,

0:16:580:17:00

it's a show of strength, too, from Stephen Reading.

0:17:000:17:03

His target - to become the fastest circus strongman

0:17:030:17:06

to complete the marathon.

0:17:060:17:08

Ryan Dearing's a hot dog with added relish and extra mustard.

0:17:080:17:12

He'll need it all to become the hot-dog-clad record holder.

0:17:120:17:16

Hiya!

0:17:160:17:17

Bob Johnson's two-man canoe could be his victory vessel,

0:17:170:17:21

as he dips his oar into marathon-record waters.

0:17:210:17:24

When camouflage makes you stand out in a crowd,

0:17:240:17:27

it has to be Corin Leach, in pursuit of a ghillie-suited record.

0:17:270:17:31

Has wings, will fly.

0:17:310:17:34

Well, at least she'll try.

0:17:340:17:36

Fay Morse hopes to give Tinker Bell a run for her money

0:17:360:17:38

and become the fleetest of fairies.

0:17:380:17:41

Link by link and yard by yard, the great crusade for Dave Cook

0:17:410:17:45

is to break the record for running in chain mail.

0:17:450:17:49

Well, it takes all sorts.

0:17:490:17:51

As this man here knows.

0:17:510:17:53

-Jon Scott is attempting a world record dressed like this.

-I am.

0:17:530:17:57

-How quick have you got to run to get your record?

-Four-and-a-half hours.

0:17:570:18:00

And what kind of time would you normally run in regular clothing?

0:18:000:18:03

This will be my first-ever marathon.

0:18:030:18:05

But I think I could probably do a regular marathon

0:18:050:18:07

in around about three-and-a-half to three forty-five.

0:18:070:18:10

So I've got a little bit of margin, hopefully.

0:18:100:18:12

-It should be a doddle for you.

-I'm sure, yeah.

0:18:120:18:14

Well, you are a man of fitness.

0:18:140:18:16

You're in charge of fitness for the European Space Agency,

0:18:160:18:19

hence Tim Peake stood between us,

0:18:190:18:21

because you're the man responsible for getting these guys fit

0:18:210:18:23

when they go up into space.

0:18:230:18:24

So what kind of things would you have done with Tim

0:18:240:18:27

before he embarked on his expedition?

0:18:270:18:29

So before Tim flies, we have to make sure he is as healthy as he can be.

0:18:290:18:32

So not as fit as he can be.

0:18:320:18:34

So we're not trying to create elite runners or weightlifters.

0:18:340:18:37

But he needs to be ready to exercise very hard on the space station.

0:18:370:18:40

Libby, one of your colleagues,

0:18:400:18:42

is demonstrating how it will look for Tim Peake on Sunday.

0:18:420:18:46

This is the kind of equipment that he's going to be in.

0:18:460:18:50

So talk us through...

0:18:500:18:52

Hi, Libby, by the way.

0:18:520:18:53

..what Libby's wearing.

0:18:530:18:54

So one of the unique things about running in space

0:18:540:18:57

is you have no body weight.

0:18:570:18:58

The first time you touch the deck, you would simply float away.

0:18:580:19:01

So we have to give Tim a special harness

0:19:010:19:03

which actually pulls him onto the treadmill

0:19:030:19:05

and actually allows him to run.

0:19:050:19:07

The more loading we use in the harness,

0:19:070:19:09

the more difficult the run becomes.

0:19:090:19:10

But the more loading we use,

0:19:100:19:12

the more pressure Tim feels through his shoulders and his hips.

0:19:120:19:14

So very much like wearing a heavy rucksack.

0:19:140:19:17

So the challenge for Tim will be

0:19:170:19:18

to try and find the right amount of loading

0:19:180:19:20

that will allow him to run for three to four hours,

0:19:200:19:23

and the right amount of running speed - the combination of the two -

0:19:230:19:26

will give him the challenge that he wants.

0:19:260:19:27

And he'll have a screen, as well.

0:19:270:19:29

So he'll be going through the streets of London,

0:19:290:19:31

seeing all the landmarks along the way. Which will help him, I guess.

0:19:310:19:34

He will, yes. So for normal exercise countermeasures,

0:19:340:19:37

we simply have a treadmill with a wall in front of it.

0:19:370:19:39

So it's not the most stimulating environment.

0:19:390:19:41

Luckily, for his marathon, we will have a screen in front of him,

0:19:410:19:44

it will show the whole route and he will match up

0:19:440:19:46

the running speed with the video route and so he will cross

0:19:460:19:51

the finish line in the video at the same time he finishes 26.2 miles.

0:19:510:19:55

OK, well, I will leave you two to it.

0:19:550:19:56

Best of luck for the record on Sunday.

0:19:560:19:59

He is obviously in good shape, Tim Peake,

0:19:590:20:02

and preparing well for his marathon challenge.

0:20:020:20:05

So, to find out just how well it is going, we sent Steve Cram to

0:20:050:20:08

be our Ground Control to Major Tim.

0:20:080:20:10

Hi, Tim. Steve Cram here from BBC Sport.

0:20:160:20:20

You're one of tens of thousands who are going to be taking

0:20:200:20:23

part, in your own unique way, on Sunday.

0:20:230:20:26

Most of them will probably say they haven't done enough training.

0:20:260:20:29

Do you fall into the same category,

0:20:290:20:32

and what particular issues have you been facing?

0:20:320:20:34

Hello, Steve. It is great to be talking to you this afternoon.

0:20:340:20:37

I have got a guilty admission,

0:20:370:20:39

I probably do fall into that same category.

0:20:390:20:42

I don't think you can ever do enough training for a marathon

0:20:420:20:44

but I have certainly been putting in the miles on the T2 treadmill,

0:20:440:20:48

is what we call it up here on the space station.

0:20:480:20:50

I have done a few half-marathons and a little bit longer

0:20:500:20:53

distance as well so I am comfortable I can run the marathon on Sunday.

0:20:530:20:58

But I am sure there will be a few points where I will be wishing

0:20:580:21:01

I did a bit more training.

0:21:010:21:02

Most people have something that will keep them going on Sunday.

0:21:020:21:05

For some, it will be the cause they're running for,

0:21:050:21:08

for some it will be maybe the finish line.

0:21:080:21:10

I know you have a brilliant view out of the window

0:21:100:21:12

but what is going to keep you going in your own particular marathon?

0:21:120:21:15

Music you listen to, or things you're thinking about?

0:21:150:21:18

What will keep you motivated?

0:21:180:21:19

That is a great question.

0:21:190:21:21

I think there are a number of things that will keep me motivated.

0:21:210:21:23

One of the main memories I have of 1999,

0:21:230:21:27

when I ran the London Marathon before, was the atmosphere

0:21:270:21:30

and the crowd and the other competitors taking part.

0:21:300:21:34

That spirit really lifted me the entire way through the race,

0:21:340:21:38

so in order to try and get some of that up here on board the space

0:21:380:21:41

station, I have got a couple of things.

0:21:410:21:43

Firstly, I have the RunSocial app,

0:21:430:21:45

so I will be looking at the route I am running

0:21:450:21:48

and I will be running alongside everybody else who is running

0:21:480:21:50

the digital version of the London Marathon.

0:21:500:21:53

Also, hopefully I will get the telly sent up to

0:21:530:21:56

the space station as well.

0:21:560:21:57

So at times I will be able to see what is going on with

0:21:570:22:00

the real race in London, which will be a huge boost to me,

0:22:000:22:04

to be able to know I'm running alongside everyone down there.

0:22:040:22:07

Of course, people like Jon and Libby, who are running alongside me,

0:22:070:22:10

and everybody from Team Astronaut, from the Prince's Trust as well.

0:22:100:22:14

It is great to know I have got all that support down there

0:22:140:22:17

and I am running for a great cause, that will keep me going.

0:22:170:22:20

It goes without saying that everyone who takes

0:22:210:22:24

part in the London Marathon is a hero.

0:22:240:22:26

But some people deserve a special mention.

0:22:260:22:29

David Weir, who equalled Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's six

0:22:290:22:33

victories in London. Going for the magnificent seven, David.

0:22:330:22:36

I'm trying to, yes.

0:22:360:22:38

-How has preparation gone?

-I have had a really good winter, actually.

0:22:380:22:41

A lot of mileage, back in the gym.

0:22:410:22:43

I don't know if it is because it is an Olympic year

0:22:430:22:46

and you just get that buzz again.

0:22:460:22:47

I raced in Boston on Sunday but, you know,

0:22:470:22:49

it was the first time doing that course and I came fourth.

0:22:490:22:53

I was a bit gutted afterwards but after I thought about it,

0:22:530:22:56

I'm getting ready for this race on Sunday.

0:22:560:22:59

What is it going to take to win it for a seventh time, do you think?

0:22:590:23:03

It is going to take beating Marcel, Kurt and Ernst at the moment.

0:23:030:23:07

They are the three guys that are really pushing well at the moment.

0:23:070:23:10

This course suits me and it is a bit more technical, it is

0:23:100:23:14

not as fast and furious like Boston.

0:23:140:23:16

So hopefully it will suit me on Sunday.

0:23:160:23:19

Best of luck, David, going for the magnificent seven on Sunday.

0:23:190:23:22

-We'll all be rooting for you.

-Thank you.

0:23:220:23:25

Every year, the London Marathon teams up with an official

0:23:250:23:27

charity partner. This year it is the turn of the NSPCC,

0:23:270:23:31

which, incredibly, is celebrating 30 years of ChildLine.

0:23:310:23:34

They have helped millions of children in that time.

0:23:340:23:37

On Sunday, a group of young people will be running under

0:23:370:23:41

the name Team ChildLine,

0:23:410:23:43

to help represent those voices that they have helped.

0:23:430:23:46

When I run, I sort of feel free.

0:23:500:23:52

I'm mainly running the marathon because of what happened to me and

0:23:520:23:55

my story but also for all the other stories that people haven't shared.

0:23:550:24:00

I think the team element is something really special.

0:24:000:24:03

For each of us, individually, to run a marathon,

0:24:030:24:06

I don't think it's anything any of us would have ever dreamed of.

0:24:060:24:10

I don't really know where I would be if it wasn't for ChildLine.

0:24:100:24:13

I definitely wouldn't be the same person I am now.

0:24:150:24:18

I don't really want to think about how things could have been.

0:24:180:24:21

I think I was about 14 or 15 and there were a lot of things

0:24:230:24:26

going on in my life that I couldn't make sense of.

0:24:260:24:29

I didn't know how to deal with those feelings,

0:24:310:24:33

and I think because I had quite low confidence and self-esteem,

0:24:330:24:37

I didn't know, like, if I could speak to people about things.

0:24:370:24:41

I just didn't know kind of where to turn.

0:24:410:24:45

I have been bullied throughout my time at school.

0:24:450:24:48

It started online, comments which obviously weren't about me.

0:24:480:24:52

But everyone sort of knew they were about me.

0:24:520:24:56

The bullying did eventually, like, become something that

0:24:560:24:58

happened in school. So that was quite tricky to, like, deal with.

0:24:580:25:02

It was quite lonely and isolating, I guess.

0:25:020:25:05

I turned to ChildLine and, I think, when I found them online,

0:25:070:25:10

the website, I remember just spending hours looking through.

0:25:100:25:13

I was reassured that it could be anything.

0:25:130:25:17

If it is affecting you and is making you feel low or

0:25:170:25:21

anything, then, yeah, they are there for you.

0:25:210:25:24

ChildLine actually helped me understand what was going on

0:25:240:25:26

and talk about it.

0:25:260:25:28

It was a huge weight being lifted, so that was an amazing feeling.

0:25:280:25:33

The main piece of tactical advice ChildLine gave me

0:25:330:25:35

was writing things down.

0:25:350:25:37

I started writing letters to myself, from then,

0:25:370:25:40

explaining what was going on so I wasn't bottling it up any more.

0:25:400:25:44

Hello, you're through to someone you can talk to.

0:25:450:25:48

There was an opportunity to volunteer with ChildLine and,

0:25:480:25:51

yeah, it was a massive step, but I took it.

0:25:510:25:55

Being able to train as a ChildLine counsellor myself,

0:25:550:25:58

I literally don't have words for it, it's amazing.

0:25:580:26:01

I think having that little bit of insight is just really special

0:26:010:26:05

because it means I can sit there and be like, "I want to help you,

0:26:050:26:08

"I want to help you get through this."

0:26:080:26:10

Like they did with me.

0:26:100:26:12

I'm helping the new campaigns and different things the NSPCC do.

0:26:120:26:16

That has been amazing, like.

0:26:160:26:18

I was someone who was contacting ChildLine

0:26:180:26:20

and now I'm helping to get the message out to other people.

0:26:200:26:24

Running it is such a good image of how ChildLine supports

0:26:260:26:29

young people.

0:26:290:26:30

There are hurdles to overcome

0:26:300:26:33

and still kind of difficulties on the way but you have got that

0:26:330:26:37

crowd cheering you on and there is that finish line in sight.

0:26:370:26:40

I really just hope my story encourages people who haven't

0:26:400:26:43

contacted ChildLine to contact ChildLine

0:26:430:26:45

and those that are contacting ChildLine to continue

0:26:450:26:48

and those who have, to possibly volunteer or try

0:26:480:26:51

and donate money and help NSPCC carry on what they are doing.

0:26:510:26:55

Doing it to raise awareness of ChildLine and to

0:26:550:26:58

celebrate its 30th birthday, I think it's such a good way to celebrate it

0:26:580:27:02

and be like, "This service really changes lives."

0:27:020:27:05

Such a special team and very best of luck to them all.

0:27:090:27:12

A great way to finish this look ahead to the London Marathon.

0:27:120:27:16

35,000 runners of all shapes and sizes

0:27:160:27:19

and all kinds of backgrounds will be taking part,

0:27:190:27:21

hoping to finish this globally iconic event.

0:27:210:27:24

You can see it all on the BBC.

0:27:240:27:27

Tomorrow, coverage starts at 8.30 on BBC One

0:27:270:27:30

and coverage across BBC Radio, online and social-media channels.

0:27:300:27:34

So the 36th London Marathon is upon us, and tomorrow,

0:27:340:27:38

at some point, the millionth finisher will cross the line.

0:27:380:27:41

Another incredible milestone in this truly uplifting human race.

0:27:410:27:46

Best of luck to all of you. Sleep well tonight. I'll see you tomorrow.

0:27:460:27:50

Some 7,000 men and women are preparing to embark

0:27:530:27:57

on what for almost each and every one has become a personal crusade.

0:27:570:28:01

# How far we've gone

0:28:020:28:06

# How far we're going

0:28:080:28:11

# It's the here and the now

0:28:130:28:16

# And the love for the sound

0:28:160:28:19

# Of the moments that keep us moving

0:28:190:28:25

# Soldier on, soldier on

0:28:250:28:31

# Don't think about it at all

0:28:310:28:36

# Yeah, will you take me tonight?

0:28:400:28:48

# Yeah, will you take me tonight?

0:28:480:28:58

# Yeah

0:28:580:29:05

# Soldier on, soldier on. #

0:29:170:29:21

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